SOCCER COACHING

The complete soccer coaching experience International

2
Volume 2
March/April 2004

Brazilian National Team

Brazil U17s
Erich Rutemöller
German Soccer
Association

Nico Romijn
Royal Dutch
Soccer Association

John Alpress
English FA

Goalkeeping
anno 2004

www.soccercoachinginternational.com
Editorial
march/april 2004

SoccerCoachingInternational is a magazine for

soccer coaches all over the world from the publisher
of TrainersMagazine, the Dutch magazine for
soccer coaches. The Magazine will be released
Contents
six times a year.

Chief editor
Paul van Veen
Beatrixlaan 21, 2811 LZ REEUWIJK
THE NETHERLANDS
4 ERICH RUTEMOLLER: TECHNICAL DIRECTOR OF THE GERMAN
SOCCER ASSOCIATION (DFB)
E-mail: paulvanveen@sportfacilities.com
“A new approach after EURO 2000”
Publisher Erich Rutemoller discusses the new approach to coach in Germany after
Sportfacilities & Media BV EURO 2000. As an assistant to Rudi Voller, Erich works with the national
Visiting Address:
team in preparation for the World Cup 2006, held in Germany. Eriich is res-
Steynlaan 19H ZEIST
THE NETHERLANDS ponsible for the German ‘talent team’, all young Bundesliga players who
Postal Address: need international experience.
Postbus 952, 3700 AZ ZEIST
THE NETHERLANDS
E-mail: sci@sportfacilities.com
Phone: +31-(0)30 - 697 77 10
10 NICO ROMEIJN, ROYAL DUTCH FOOTBALL ORGANIZATION (KNVB)
Dutch circuit model for youngsters introduced in the USA
Fax: +31-(0)030 - 697 77 20 Nico Romeijn is a KNVB staff member and is responsible for the education
Project Manager modules of the younger age groups. Tino Stoop is the developer of the
Floris Schmitz modules, which were introduced last year in Holland. This year the modu-
E-mail: f.schmitz@sportfacilities.com les for the under 8, 10 and 12’s were translated and introduced by
Editorial staff: Reedswain at the NSCAA (National Soccer Coaches Association of America)
Paul Cooper, Maaike Denkers, Bert-Jan Heijmans, convention of the last January in the United States.
Peter Langens, Hans Slender and Paul van Veen.

Subscription Rates 14 JOHN ALPRESS, NATIONAL PLAYER DEVELOPMENT COACH OF THE FA

Can you as a (youth) coach be less intrusive?
You can subscribe to this magazine at the website:
www.soccercoachinginternational.com. The sub- In October 2000 John Allpress left his post with the Ipswich Town Academy
scription rate is e 47,70/year for UK/USA subscribers
and e 59,90/year for subscribers from the rest of
to re-join the FA and in January 2002 began a new job as National Player
the world. You will receive six magazines per year Development Coach – a task that saw him undertake work in England’s
and you will be able to register to the website Football Academies and Centres of Excellence with coaches and players in
www.soccercoachinginternational.com
the 9 – 16 age range.
This publication is purchased with the understanding
that information presented is from many sources
for which there can be no warranty or responsibility 18 EDWIN REDER, HFC U19 COACH, ON MODERN WINGERS
"You can get a lot from one exercise"
by the publisher as to accuracy, originality or
completeness. It is sold with the understanding that
the publisher is not engaged in rendering product
endorsements or providing instruction as a substitue 20 LUIZ “LUCHO” NIZZO, BRAZILIAN NATIONAL U17 TEAM COACH
The Brazilian National U15 team played three friendly games in Bradenton
for appropriate training by qualified sources.
SoccerCoachingInternational assumes no responsibility (Florida), as preparation for the U17s World-cup in Peru in 2005. This was
for unsolicited material.
27 a good opportunity for SoccerCoachingInternational to talk with team coach
Luiz “ Lucho” Nizzo. It was not just an interview with the coach but also
Copyright the whole staff from equipment manager to head of the delegation, a sena-
All rights reserved. Contents may not be reprinted or otherwise
reproduced without written permission of the publisher. tor from one of the Brazilian states.

ISSN 1571 - 8794

24 MICHELE BORGHI, BOLOGNA FC U13 COACH:
“We don’t spend a lot of time on tactics”

28 RENÉ HAKE, U15 COACH BVO EMMEN:

"The challenge is to get them to help each other"

32 STEVE GUMMER, COERVER COACHING’S DIRECTOR OF
COACHING
The importance of Technical development at an early age.
Soccer through its history has always maintained the same
objectives score more goals than the other team and you win, a
simple premise but not always as easy as it sounds. Generally it
is easier to destruct than it is to construct, so the better you can
master the ball the better the player you will become, which in
turn will provide confidence and the ability to take more risks as
a creative soccer player. SoccerCoachingInternational talked with
Steve Gummer Coerver Coaching’s Director of Coaching for
South Carolina and Boys’ Technical Director for Cobb FC, a highly
regarded club in the Metro Atlanta, Georgia area.
36 TOM GOODMAN, US YOUTH SOCCER NATIONAL
DIRECTOR OF COACHING EDUCATION
Small-Sided Games in America
As the US Youth Soccer National Director of Coaching Education,
veteran soccer player at various levels, veteran youth coach and
father of three adult children, who used to be little soccer play-
ers, I have thought long and hard about the answer to the
questions, “Why Small-Sided Games?” and “Why here in
America?”
38 CIRENCESTER TOWN JUNIORS U6S
The young ones “Fun Variety and Games”
42 RUBEN STERRENBURG ON THE ROLE OF THE MODERN
GOALKEEPERS:
Goalkeeping is more than line keeping and kicking the ball up front
In todays soccer goalkeeping is no longer looked upon as of
secondary importance. The modern goalkeeper has to be able to
stand his ground in goal as well as on the field. Ruben
Sterrenburg talks about the modern goalkeeper and what skills
and assets they need to possess in order to function in the
modern game.
46 THE FIRST TOUCH
‘A touch is a touch, even a bad one’
47 VARIOUS
From the Editor
Three different Soccer Associations
Welcome to the second issue of
SoccerCoachingInternational. I want to thank you all for
sending the enormous amount of positive reactions to our
product. This gives us extra motivation to continuosly
work on bettering the quality of our products and serv-
ices. I am also pleased to see that most of the subscri-
bers have found their way to our website and have been
able to experience the many benefits it has to offer, inclu-
ding our Exercises Database.
In this 2nd issue we have interviews with three of the
best known Soccer Associations in the world. We talked
with Erich Rötenmuller of the German Soccer Association
(DFB), Nico Romijn of the Royal Dutch Soccer Association
(KNVB) and John Alpress of the English FA.
Erich Rutemöller, assistant to national team coach Rudi
Voller, discusses the new approach to coaching in
Germany after Euro 2000. As we all know, the Germans
went out of the competition after the first round subse-
quent to two defeats and one draw. For a major soccer
country like Germany this was a signal to evaluate the
standard of coaching. Erich talks to
SoccerCoachingInternational about this new approach.
Nico Romeijn, staff member of the KNVB, is responsible
for the education modules of the younger age groups.
These modules were introduced last year in Holland. This
year the modules for the under 8, 10 and 12’s were
translated in English. Romeijn spoke with
SoccerCoachingInternational about the modules and the
way to use them.
John Allpress re-joined the English FA in January 2002 as
National Player Development Coach. Next to this job he
also coaches the England Under16 team with Head
Coach John McDermott. SCI also interviewed John and
this diversity in articles once again proves that we really
do have a truly ‘international’ magazine. Especially if you
take into account that we also interviewed Brasil U17
coach Luiz "Lucho" Nizzo.
I hope you enjoy reading the second edition of our maga-
zine. And if you haven’t done so already, please also visit
our website, because SCI is more than just a magazine:
it is a complete soccer coaching experience.
Yours in soccer,
Paul van Veen
Editor
Erich Rutemöller discusses the new approach to coaching in
Germany after Euro 2000. As we all know, the Germans went
out of the competition after the first round after two defeats
and one draw. For a major soccer country like Germany this
was a signal to evaluate the standard of coaching. As an
assistant to Rudi Voller, Erich works with the national team in
preparation for the World Cup in 2006, held in Germany. Erich
is responsible for the German ‘talent team’, all young
Bundesliga players who need international experience.

Erich Rutemöller: Technical director of the

German Soccer Association (DFB)

“A new approach after

EURO 2000”
Germany changed their approach to coaching after the debacle NSCAA Convention Charlotte (USA)
of Euro 2000. They went home after the first round, subse- SoccerCoachingInternational met Erich at the National Soccer
quent to their losses against England and Portugal and a draw Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) convention. During
with Romania. the convention (approx. 3000 coaches attended), Erich gave a
“We were always very successful with the national team during presentation on the difference in approach of the DFB after
World and European championships. But this was a warning for Euro 2000. He also gave a practical session in one of the con-
us, and a very welcome one. We realized that if we did not vention halls on small-sided games.
change our approach to develop and educate our coaches we SoccerCoachingInternational listened to Erich’s ideas about
would not be able to provide the national team with the talent the game and the vision for the future of German soccer.
other countries can produce. Even at the highest level we need
a different approach because soccer is changing all the time, Why a change of coaching philosophy?
so the coaches have to change their approach too.” After the disaster of Euro 2000 the DFB came to the conclu-
sion that hey had to change and introduce three major
Results Germany during European championships programs:
1960 (4 teams) : Did not enter
1964 (4 teams) : Did not enter • Expand DFB talent promotion program
1968 (4 teams) : Did not qualify • Youth academies, run by professional clubs
1972 (4 teams) : Winners • Restructure coaches training program
1976 (4 teams) : Runners-up
1980 (8 teams) : Winners Erich explains the above issues to SCI. As we all know, we are
1984 (8 teams) : First round (group matches) one of the most successful soccer nations on the globe. We
1988 (8 teams) : Semi final have won all the major trophies and our way and system of
1992 (8 teams) : Runners-up playing has been consistent over the years. We will never play
1996 (16 teams) : Winners like the Brazilians or the Dutch; our style of play is aggressive

4 No. 2 - March/April 2004


and full of power. Fitness has always been a hot topic, and
many of the results relied on the fitness and mentality of our
players. The will to win was always there and we often came
back from behind to win a title. But nowadays the game has
changed, so you can’t solely rely on the above qualities. The
game is faster and the players now are more match fit (both
physically and psychologically). We realized that we also had to
change the way of coaching, which means that ‘old fashioned’
coaches have to change their approach and that young coach-
es need to be instructed in the modern approach to training,
practice sessions and match preparation.
Practice sessions 2004
In Germany we think, probably along with every country in the
world, that you have to stick with the ideas of coaching that
have made you successful in the past. Our punishment came
during Euro 2000 and we realized that we have to work very
hard to bridge the gap with other countries, who were ahead of
us on coaching schemes. The main changes we introduced
and which should be used by the modern coach were:
• Everyone learns together
• Moving from teacher-oriented learning to interactive,
learner-oriented methods
• Focus on practical applications, projects and problems
• Communicative learning (cooperation, group work)
• Self-directed learning (independent problem-solving)
The most important change for our federation is that we
changed from a teacher orientated learning process to a
process of interactivity. Which means that we all learn from
each other and that at the end of the course the teacher, is
part of the group, where soccer ideas are shared. A lot is
based on the practical sessions instead of classroom ses-
GER - Erich Rutemöller
Coaching Philosophy of the
German Soccer Federation
sions. By doing the course sessions more and more on the
field you explore how to set up your sessions and how to han-
dle situations on the field.
The Professional Coaching License
The professional coaching license is based on the evaluation
of the above conclusions and will provide the modern coach
with information, which is necessary in today’s game. We are
very pleased with the program and the reactions of the coach-
es who attended the course were generally very positive.
Training program objectives:
Preparation for specialization in various fields:
Ø DFB or association coach
Ø professional coach
Ø director of a professional club’s
youth academy
Preparation for the following duties:
Ø an active role in talent scouting and promotion
Ø expanded instruction for association coaches
Ø as coach: F increasing a team’s tactical versatility
F stabilizing a team’s form at a high level
F building support staff structure
F encouraging players to reach a high level of
performance
F appearing as the team’s representative
Topics/Areas of specialization
• professional-level structural analysis
No. 2 - March/April 2004 5
• professional-level technical-tactical training
• professional-level condition training
• practice planning and evaluation
• youth soccer
• coaching during play
• sports medicine
• sports education and psychology
• legal issues and club management
Creating a training program for the
Professional Coaching License
Introductory course: The basics of soccer (eight weeks)
Midterm examination
Internship with a professional team (four weeks):
Coach shadowing (three weeks)
youth academy (one week)
Specialized training (eight weeks):
Professional coaching (four weeks)
youth coaching (two weeks)
Training (regional associations) (two weeks)
Final examination
Training program as of
• Observation of an international tournament as evaluation
material for training
• Formation of four observation groups:
Attack: Attack-building
Attack: Setting up and taking advantage of scoring
opportunities
Defensive concepts
Game formations and performance profiles for individual
positions
F Multimedia presentation of observations (all four groups)
F Creation of practice sessions for individual training concepts
6 No. 2 - March/April 2004
Talent Team Germany 2006
As part of the whole change of structure in coaching after Euro
2000, we introduced a so-called Talent team in Germany. I am
responsible for that team. The whole philosophy of this team
is that we want to prepare young players for the 2006 World
Cup in our country. All the players who play for this team play
in the Bundesliga and need to achieve international experience
by playing against the best players from other countries. Our
strategy is based on the observation that top players will
improve when they play against other top players. Therefore
we have to give them a chance to promote themselves. They
will only be better when you allow them to make mistakes. By
making mistakes they learn and explore that on the highest
levels, everything depends on details.
Attackers
One of the complaints of German football now is that we have
a lack of strikers. In the past we have had great strikers like
Gert Muller, Uli Hoeness, Karl Heinz Rumminnige, Jurgen
Klinsman and Rudi Voller. Why don’t we have strikers like that
coming through now? My opinion about strikers is quite clear;
when you can’t play in a team structure you will never reach
the top. Top class strikers make the difference; they can
decide the game in one second. What we do in Germany now
is a more individual approach with the players and work on
specific qualities and skills for different positions. We reached
the final in Japan/Korea because we were very strong as a
team without a specific star. We lost the final because of the
individual qualities of Brazil, which in the end was the differ-
ence between the two teams.
Tactics
On tactics, I always keep in mind that when you do not have
the technique you can forget about tactics. I work with the tal-
ented youth players in Germany, and I realize that my German
players are not Brazilians or Portuguese players. They can all
handle the ball and have descent technique. But our strength
is the power, passion and working spirit combined with a
strong mentality and tactics. I am a strong believer that when
you understand how to attack the opponent you can win a
game. For example we often play 3-5-2 with the two outside
midfielders being very important when the opponent has the
ball. What I want from my outside midfielders is that when the
opponents play a goal kick to one of their full backs, my mid-
fielder runs to the full back and puts pressure on him. If the
whole team does not react on the move of the midfielder it will
be a simple solution for the opposition to create an overload
and to outplay my midfielder.
Zonal play
When we do this well it means that the whole team moves with
the direction of the ball. When the ball is played from a goal kick
to their left full back, I want my number 7 to make a move
straight to him. If my forwards do not move to their central
defenders and the rest of my midfielders do not move to the right
there will be a gap, and the pressure on the opponent will be
gone. I even expect my defenders to move
with the ball. By putting pressure on the
ball, I want to put pressure on the opposi-
tion and in general you will see that it will
be very hard for the opposition to find
space. These kind of tactics rely on
details, as every single player must under-
stand what his duty is in the team after
the first player makes his move.
Small-sided games
The talent team I coach is a team with
the best players in Germany, but they
still have to learn a lot. A game of
eleven a side is always hard to analyse
and you hope that every player makes
the correct decision. Decision-making at
every level is the key to success. Soccer
is not a game of chess where you only
No. 2 - March/April 2004
can use the knight in certain directions.
For every action a player has plenty of
options to choose from, our job is to
teach the player to take the best option.
Braking down the game into small-sided
games will give the coach the opportuni-
ty to coach and guide the players in an
easier way. Furthermore, it will be easier
for the player to understand what he is
doing right and wrong.
4v4
During my practices in Charlotte I start-
ed with 4 v 4. Why 4 v 4? There are lots
of reasons to play 4 v 4 but the main
reason is that it is the smallest game
with all the ingredients of a normal
game. It still gives you the opportunity
to play side ways, backwards and deep.
Other reasons to play 4 v 4 are:
• Maximum ball contact.
• Maximum ball movement.
• Environment for skill acquisition.
• Environment for tactical intervention.
• Duplicate game movements at game
speed – Running, passing, receiving,
shooting, etc.
• Opportunities for improving interaction
and communication
• Promote the value of receiving, pass-
ing and quality ball control.
• Encourage the ability to create space
as an individual and as a team.
• Decision making is shared, and indi-
vidual contributions are responsible to
produce positive team outcomes
7
• Opportunities for situational and spontaneous
team-work
• Format for the value of co-operation and team-work Passport
• Participants must be flexible, and able to adapt to
quick changes.
Name:
These are several topics, which are covered in the 4 v 4 Erich Rutemöller
games. More important is that during the game the
responsibility of each player will be very high as they are Date of birth
each responsible for 25% of the field. All the above men- February 8th 1945
tioned topics can be used by the coach to explain how to
improve. This way of learning is an easier format than the Career as player:
full sized game and will give the coaches the opportunity, Borussia Rheine 08,
after using small sided games many times, to progress to SSV Koettingen,
the more complicated 7 a side game. 1. FC Cologne

In general we can say that the German Federation picked Career as coach:
up the warning from Euro 2000, which resulted in reach- 1. FC Cologne,
ing the final of the 2002 World Cup in Japan and Korea. Bonner SC,
Erich admits that the change to the approach in coaching FC Hansa Rostock
can’t be achieved overnight, but the overall reactions to
the changes are positive. Related to what he observes on
At DFB since
the fields of the DFB with the young talents he is pleased
July 1st 1994
to say that there is a lot of hope for the future.

Articlecode 2c2fdff9

8 No. 2 - March/April 2004

4v4 line soccer
I chose a game of line soccer during the convention,
because I wanted to observe the individual skills as well
as the team performance. With line soccer you encourage
the team to score as quickly as possible when they have the
opportunity, but you also encourage the individual player to
make an action when there is an opportunity to take a man
on. The whole back line is the scoring line so there are loads
of opportunities for an individual and for team to find that
spare man.

8v7 counter game

As an extension of the 4 v 4 games you can use the 7 v 7, 8 v 8 or the
games with an overload like 8 v 7. I did two games during the conven-
tion, the ‘normal’ 7 v 7 (with goalkeepers) and the 8 v 7, also known
as the counter game. To give you an idea what the differences are
between the two games I will give you more detail on what I was trying
to achieve. In the first game, which is the ordinary 7 v 7 game with goal-
keepers, it is constantly the decision making of the individual player,
what to do in possession and non-possession. The importance again all
depends on the movement and support of your team-mates (working as
a team). In possession it is important to create space as wide and as
deep as possible, but because there are now more players on the field
than with 4 v 4 you have more opportunities, which will make your deci-
sion harder. Coaching the decision of the player with the ball and what
happens around him gives me the opportunity for lots of coaching
points. During the practice I had lots of opportunities to coach them and
to stop the game, but in the end the game is the best teacher. Also give
them the opportunity and the time to solve their own problems. Try to
find the balance between stopping the game time after time and letting
it go.

8v7 counter game

This game is totally different from the 7 v 7 game, first of
all because I created an overload of players and further-
more, the centre forward of the 8 was allowed to stand in
the attacking third without being offside. What I tried to realize
was that the attacking team, would try to give a pass to the cen-
tre forward as quick as possible every time they regained pos-
session. By giving the pass the team also has to close by sup-
porting the forward. As a team you try to achieve a quick counter
attack, which creates an overload, which should in turn end up in
many changes. The key point is the concentration, the pace and
the accuracy of the actions. For the defending team this means
that with possession they need all the players to support each
other, but on the other hand they still need an eye on the attack-
er because he can cause them a lot of trouble when they lose
possession.

No. 2 - March/April 2004 9

 Nico Romeijn is a KNVB staff member and is responsible for the educa-
tion modules of the younger age groups. Tino Stoop is the developer of
the modules, which were introduced last year in Holland. This year the
modules for the under 8, 10 and 12’s were translated and introduced by
Reedswain at the NSCAA (National Soccer Coaches Association of
America)convention last January in the United States. Nico Romeijn was
there and spoke with SoccerCoachingInternational about the modules
and the way to use them.

By: Bert-Jan Heijmans

Nico Romeijn,
Royal Dutch Football
Organization (KNVB)

Dutch circuit model for youngsters

introduced in the USA
SoccerCoachingInternational visited the NSCAA convention dren trough their starting career, is very important. We often do
in Charlotte, North Caroline and met Nico Romeijn of the not realize that this phase of a child’s soccer career is probably
KNVB. Nico was there with his colleague Wim Koevermans the most important one. Within this phase we create the foun-
on invitation by the NSCAA and Reedswain, the publisher of dation of their future as a player.
Soccer books and videos.
The beginning
We spoke with Nico and his colleague Wim Koevermans about Children start playing soccer for several reasons. Their friends
topics like; children characteristics, parents/coaches, fun, let are playing soccer; dad took him/her to soccer games, televi-
them play, over coaching, etc. Obvious to the people of
SoccerCoachingInternational was, that there is a difference in
approach between the USA and Holland concerning the guid-
ance of children through their starting soccer career. In the USA
everything is related to success, which is different from
Holland, where enjoyment and individual development is far
more important at the start of young players career. It was
quite clear that many American coaches were a little bit con-
fused after Nico’s practical session. Nico does not interfere
that much and allows the children to discover how to solve
problems on their own (creativity). They have to explore what a
game of soccer is. He said; “why should we give the solution
for the children when the children can find the solution by them-
selves.”

Youngsters
The most important fact in working with very young children is
that you need to understand what they can and cannot do. 6
year old children have a totally different attitude than 11 year
old children. The coach’s approach on how to guide these chil-

10 No. 2 - March/April 2004

sion etc. The reason is always positive; being member of a club
(socializing), to meet friends and have fun with a ball. It is
always about the ball and that is what we have to create for the
children, an environment which will reach their imagination. A
child is never dreaming about running tracks when he/she is
thinking about soccer. The beginning of a child’s soccer career
has nothing to do with fitness, tactics or mentality; it has to do
with fun and a smile on their face, because of that ball and
playing the game.
Parents
Parents are the most important people in a child’s starting soc-
cer career. They often support them in joining the game, but
more importantly the parents are often the children’s first
coaches when they start at a very young age. This is supposed
to be the most important phase in their life as a soccer player.
The parents do not need extensive knowledge about
the game of soccer, because the set up of the
circuit model will give the children the opportunity
to explore the game by themselves
Parents are going into coaching without any experience but
want to help the children out. Good willing parents who don’t
want to spend too much time on coaching courses.
Circuit Training
Why circuit training? The main reason has to be; because of
the children. Young children do not have a broad attention
span. All kinds of exercises during a training session provide
them with a lot of fun and they will not easily get bored. The
parents do not need extensive knowledge about the game of
soccer, because the set up of the circuit model will give the
children the opportunity to explore the game by themselves.
The parents/coaches have the opportunity to work separately,
but also in combination with other coaches of the same age
NL - Nico Romeijn
groups. E.g., one of the coaches is setting up the circuit model;
the other breaks it down with his team after the training ses-
sion.
Modules
The reasons the KNVB (Tino Stoop) chose the modules for the
Under 8, 10 and 12 are as mentioned above; the time par-
ents/coaches want to spend on coaching courses. The mod-
ules take only twelve hours over a three month time span.
There will be three sessions together with the tutors; the first
session is the introduction stage. In this session the tutors will
explain what the coaches can expect from the course and they
will give them the necessary information about the module.
Afterwards, the coaches go back to their club, where they will
have the opportunity to practice with the modules. During the
second session, they talk with tutors about their experiences
and learn how to optimize a training session based on a circuit
module. Between the second and third session there is a time
span of about two months. The reason for this is that the
coaches have to familiarize themselves with the model and
have to rely on their experience, which they picked up during
the sessions with the tutors. The last session is all about their
experience during the time the coaches were working with the
modules. They will give a demonstration training concerning the
module and the tutors will give some last instructions to opti-
mize the use of the circuit and make it a success within their
club/team.
No. 2 - March/April 2004 11
Expectations Parents/Coaches
The time you have to spend during the
course is very limited and the objectives
are very clear. There is no necessary
knowledge needed of the game of soc-
cer, which means that most of the clubs
(parents!) were very enthusiastic after
the introduction of the modules. The
modules are a welcomed addition in the
course curriculum of the KNVB. After all,
the parents who are involved with their
child’s game as a coach can possibly be
remembered by the child as their most
important coach during their whole
career. This introduction of having fun
and just playing soccer will be the foun-
dation of a child as a successful soccer
player and above all as person.
Psychology
Interesting topic, because the psychologi-
cal part of the parents/coaches relation
to the youngsters it is not a very known
topic in youth soccer. A very realistic
question to Nico was; what is the KNVB
doing about the understanding of par-
ents/coaches concerning the imagination
of a child. Starting with a parent, which
has no knowledge about the game of
soccer, it is quite obvious that you try to
integrate this subject into the module
without mentioning it that much. The par-
ent/coach, which is working with the cir-
cuit training, does not realize what kind
12 No. 2 - March/April 2004
of affect this may have on the develop-
ment of the child as a soccer player, but
more importantly in their social life. By
working with the circuit training modules
you give the children the freedom to be
themselves and to explore the game of
soccer by themselves. No interference
by adults, making mistakes, having fun
and being positive are the keywords dur-
ing such a training session. The coach
will only be the guide and will change the
rules or guidelines when the exercise is
either too easy or too difficult, but in the
end the keywords to success are always
be positive and give the children the
chance to explore the game by them-
selves.
Experienced and inexperienced-
coaches
The model is not only for coaches with-
out experience. During the course it
often happened that the development of
a coach with none or little soccer and/or
coaching experience is developing pro-
gressively. This means that there is a
desire to go more into depth. On the
other end, there are also coaches with
soccer and/or coaching experience who
join the course. The process from an
inexperienced to an experienced coach
depends on three questions:
• Is the practice running smoothly?
• Did you achieve what you wanted to
achieve?
• Did the children learn anything?
A starting coach will be concerned about
his organization in the beginning and the
way the children handle his information
(achievement during a smooth practice).
A more experienced coach will change or
influence the practice by means of his
observations on how the children
progress (did they learn anything).
Warming up
“I usually use the warming up as part of
the training to bring them in a soccer
environment. They have just come back
from school, so it is very important that
they go from a more brain environment
into a sport environment, which is fun.
The children need to have fun with each
other in a soccer environment. At this
age stretching is not really necessary,
the most importing point is that they
move around and play some games with
each other. I used a tag game as warm-
ing up.”
Articlecode 7fd672ad
Penalty Game
Organization
- 7 x 12 meters
- Try to score from the first penalty spot. Afterwards you can change the distance
to the goal.
- Example: Walk with the ball to the first marker. Place the ball and shoot on goal.
If you score a goal, your second attempt will be from the second marker.
- The striker has to place the ball on the spot with his foot; the other children are
outside the box (behind a cone)
- Scoring means that your second attempt will be from the second marker (one
further away)
- If you miss your next try will be from the same marker
- If you fail twice the next attempt means one marker closer to the goal
- You collect your own ball and you line up behind the others who are waiting for
their attempt
- When the goalkeeper catches a ball, he will roll it back to the next striker.
- Every goal is important which means that you put up one of the count cones
- After three goals you change the goalkeeper

3v2 Line Football

Organization
- The total playing field is 20 x 12 meters, from which
12 x 2 metres is the end box.
- The team in possession tries by playing together to reach the other end;
they can only score when they dribble the ball over the line and stop the
ball in the scoring area. The opposition tries to prevent this and also tries
to score.
- Starting point is from your own goal line

- After a score the same set up but now the other player will be the attacker.
You can only start when the defender is in his own half.
- The neutral player always plays with the team which has possession
- When three points are reached the game is over
- After five minutes the coach gives a sign to change, which means that some-
one else will be the neutral player
- When a player dribbles the ball out of the side of the pitch, the other
player is allowed to dribble the ball back on from where the ball went
out.

Crossing The Crocodile Swamp Game

Organization
- Total area is 15 x 10 meter; corridors are 8 x 5 meter- The three
players with the ball try to reach the end with the ball still at their
feet. They have to stop the ball before the end of the channel and jog
back through the corridor and start again. - The crocodile (defender) in the
swamp tries to catch one of the players by touching the ball.

- The children decide who starts as the crocodile, the others take a ball and
line up at the edge of the swamp
- In front and behind the swamp the players are ‘free’
- When the crocodile touches the ball, he gives it straight back to the attacker.
The attacker walks back and puts up one of the ‘count’ cones. He starts
again.
- When the crocodile has achieved three touches (three ‘count’ cones),
another crocodile will defend the swamp.
- The player also looses a point when he leaves the swamp side ways
- The game always starts when all three children are ready at the starting line

No. 2 - March/April 2004 13

 In October 2000 John Allpress left
his post with the Ipswich Town
Academy to re-join the FA and in
January 2002 began a new job as
National Player Development Coach –
a task that saw him undertake work
in England’s Football Academies and
Centres of Excellence with coaches
and players in the 9 – 16 age range.
The work involved the establishment
of an FA Youth Coaches’ Course
[Under 11 and 12- 16 modules]
which coaches have to attain to work
in Academies and Centres of
Excellence and a national program-
me of workshops for the same group.
Add to this coaching the England
Under 16 team with Head Coach John
McDermott and you can get a picture
of a pretty full life.

By: Bert-Jan Heijmans

John Alpress, National Player Development Coach of the FA

Can you as a (youth)

coach be less intrusive?
Workshops
The idea for the workshops came directly from research I had
undertaken into learning and how players learn. I realised
there was a lot of new information that could help the coaches
of our youngest players and that they should be made aware
of it. I did not see my job as ‘telling them what to do’ but
rather, raising their awareness of such issues and then letting
them make the decisions as to how important this new knowl-
edge was and how they could use it. So far 40 workshops
have been conducted at Academies and Centres of Excellence
throughout England and have been very well received. Tonight
our hosts are Middlesbrough FC and the coaches are
Middlesbrough and Newcastle United Academy coaches who
work with their under 9, 10 and 11 players. John is accompa-
nied on this occasion by Pete Sturgess, an expert coach with
this age range, who assists John on the ‘FA Youth Coaches’
Courses.
Academies
When Academies came along in the mid – nineties some pro-
fessional clubs [mostly in the Premiership and Nationwide
League Division One] made a big commitment to youth devel-
opment. There are some very fine Academies and Centres of
Excellence in England with first class facilities and staff and
the system is still evolving after a very positive start. England
now has some very talented and exciting players at the youth
team level and one of the youngest National Teams in world
football.
Talent
It is getting more and more difficult for even the most talented
players to break into first teams especially in the Premiership
– clubs in that League operate in a global market. As a conse-
quence Academies are looking for ‘special’ players and those
special players need stimulation and challenge through inven-
tive and imaginative practice. Coaches must understand the
players’ needs and how vital the ‘positive learning environmen-
t’ is to a player’s development. An environment that allows
players the time and the opportunity to practice, repeat and re-
visit problems so they know how to make their own decisions
and not always rely on the coach. Like Arsene Wenger once
said;” In England there is so much talent. I am convinced that
at least 20 players at non-league level could have played as
well as Thierry Henry in the premiership if they had been
exposed to the correct coaching. I think it is easier to spoil
your talent than to bring it to the top.”

14 No. 2 - March/April 2004

 “You need talent too teach talent, Inventiveness and Imagination”
“Youth coaches must be careful
not to drown their own talent”
New Approach
Pete works with about twenty children aged 9, 10 and 11 in a
hall, 50 by 30 yards in dimension. Interestingly e while we are
standing around the pitch, we can’t hear anything he is saying.
Obviously he is very relaxed and quite easily gets the attention
of the children. Pete explains to us.
“When I was working at the Derby County Academy, we were
always looking at what would benefit the child. For example;
when a new player joins for a six-week trial, sometimes he
finds himself taking part in an exercise or game that the rest
of the squad have already played and are familiar with. This
puts the new player at a disadvantage straight away. When the
new player joins in he is already nervous and if he can see
that everyone else knows immediately what to do he could
feel a whole lot worse. It was suggested that when a new play-
er arrives the coach should introduce at least one new exer-
cise. This means that all the children will experience the game
for the first time and this allows the new player to compete on
equal terms. It is important that the coach promotes an envi-
ronment, which gives the child help and support instead of
FEAR.
Responsibility
During the first exercise (the warm up) I believe it is important
to “connect” with the group. This is done through chatting with
them and asking them questions. Their input is immediately
deemed of value and this allows them to relax and begin to
enjoy the games to come. They will grow in confidence, which
gives me the opportunity to give them some responsibility.
Children can do more than we imagine. I let them mark out the
areas that we are going to use. Most children can mark out a
pretty decent circle or square so let them do it. After a while I
ask them what they think about the exercise? Their answer is
that the circle should be smaller because the exercise is too
easy. They made the decision to make the circle smaller, not
me. The children are thinking about what they are doing, they
make the decision. Making your own decision on the pitch, not
depending on the instructions of the coach is what matters
and good habits developed at an early age are usually there
forever and players who can “sort things out for themselves”
are the ones we are all after. The earlier you start with giving
them the responsibility to make their own decisions the better
it is.
“How much can players be trusted to
find their own way?”
Stop Stand Still
For years the FA used the ‘stop, stand still’ method to explain
to players what they were doing wrong, explains Pete. This is
still a valid intervention but with younger players other meth-
ods might be more productive. What if you can create an envi-
ronment where it is OK to make mistakes and it is the coach’s
role to help you to overcome them? Telling the players what is
wrong is totally different from bringing them to a situation
where they understand what they are doing wrong and are
involved in the process of putting it right. The experience of
being brought into a situation where you have to find the solu-
tion by yourself makes you creative and gives you the respon-
sibility to think for yourself. We as coaches think that we have
to control the practice before the players will develop. I think
that children learn far more when you make them your partner
in finding the solutions together. It is certainly a lot more fun
and hopefully the improvements are permanent because the
player himself has been so heavily involved.
Skills
“I think that by giving the children the freedom to be creative
and to express them “real” learning is taking place. My role
then is facilitating this environment where self-expression is
valued and encouraged. A natural dribbler will get bored when
an exercise of dribbling is too easy for him. By giving him the
freedom to try things he will be encouraged to find the right
dribbling move for any given interaction. The input from me is
limited to give the players the chance to come up with a solu-
No. 2 - March/April 2004 15
tion of their own. If they need help and support it is always
given. For example, during the finishing on the goal exercise, I
gave the players in the middle the freedom to create their own
overload. When you’re a very natural dribbler, you can opt for a
1 v 1 situation, but a player who is not comfortable dribbling,
preferring to pass the ball, could choose to play 3 v 1. The
reward is that when you score in a 1 v 1 you earn three points
instead of only 1 point in a 3 v 1. By giving them responsibility
they have to make the decision, looking at the risk and safety
factors. The decision they make is dependent on their own
confidence, skills and knowledge. The children soon realize
that the end result is more positive when you understand what
you are good at and what you are not. By bringing them time
after time into the same situation they start to realize how to learning – how do we [the coaches] help and support them.
make the right decision themselves.” John says by managing their mistakes and successes effec-
tively and to their advantage.
Expectations
Back in the meeting the coaches debrief the evening by outlin- Youth coaches need to gain greater knowledge about what is
ing any ideas and insights they have had. John explains how going on with individuals when they are trying to learn some-
he feels that unrealistic expectations on the part of coaches, thing new. That time and opportunity to practice without con-
parents and players can be damaging and create unnecessary stant interruption is vital if experimentation and problem solv-
pressure. So realistic expectation of what individuals can ing is to take place and learning is to stick.
achieve at particular times in their growth, maturation and
development cycles will have consequences for performance, Youth coaches need to learn how to create learning environ-
physical activity and the players’ ability to take in and use ments, which emphasize the positive to players rather than the
information effectively. Therefore it is very important that our negative. Where players can practice, repeat and re-visit their
youngest players can relax and enjoy the challenge of learning challenges and learn to problem solve by making their own
at a professional club without having to carry the extra burden decisions. The function of the coach is central to this, as he
of ‘potential’ like a weight around their necks. has to create these environments sometimes with the help of
the players. But coaches need to take place in the back seat
Learning Environments when it comes to practice and be less directive, prescriptive
Player Development is more than just ‘coaching’. It is about and intrusive – let the kids play more.
‘learning’. The definition of ‘Academy’ is place of learning.
John went and talked to many people who knew about ‘learn-
ing’ during his research. People who are experts in learning in
the nine to sixteen age range. People who support learning
with talented children and young people, as well as those who
are difficult and challenging.

The same seven criteria kept re-surfacing:

• Safe
• Secure
• Inclusive
• Ownership
• Challenges
• Choices
• Enjoyment

The first three are vital as they help to develop TRUST. But
coaches must understand that trust is a two way street. You
want them to trust you – but you have to trust them too.

Trust them to try new things, push out their boundaries and
extend themselves. Replace fear of failure with freedom of
Expression. Then when players make errors and mistakes, as
they will for a variety of reasons when they are young and still

16 No. 2 - March/April 2004

JEAT Stops people learning effectively

• Too Judgemental
• Unrealistic Expectations
• Too Authoritarian
• Too Threatening

Enjoyment encourages learning

Once the child feels safe and has the freedom to explore, the
enjoyment factor will rise every week. The children will come England Under 16
back every week with a smile on their face because they enjoy
it. Once they enjoy it, the will to learn will be higher. They learn John shows a video of a game. He mentioned that the team in
new skills, will practice and learn again, the so-called learning white have never played together before and that the team in
circle. green have had four previous matches have not lost and have
not had a goal scored against them. John stops the video after
five minutes and asked three questions:
Start
Where do the coaches think the players are in their learning
cycle? What stage of learning are the players experiencing?
Move on
What would the coaches do during that particular five minute
passage of play to help and support the players effectively?
Reflect on the learning
John tells us that the white team are his England Under 16s in
a recent match versus Northern Ireland. The whites were play-
Begin to learn
ing with a degree of freedom, making mistakes but what else
could you realistically expect from 14 and 15 year old boys
Consolidate the learning experiencing something very new for the first time.

‘We thought it would be best to give them time to solve the

By constantly practicing and repeating, the circle gets smaller problems and gradually as they got more used to the new envi-
and smaller. ronment they got better – they are very talented individuals
and with our help and support found their own way. We as
There are four stages of learning: player developers have to realise the players are still very
young and in a learning phase, which to the coaches should
Unconsciously unskilled have a greater significance than winning. But we must also
realise that winning is very important to the players. Believe
me every kid pulling on a club or international shirt wants to
win, but our job is to give them the tools to find out which way
Consciously unskilled is best for them not to stifle and discourage them because we
are worried about a result’.

“Create appropriate environments for

Consciously skilled them to learn and use football as
the vehicle for that learning”

Conclusion
Unconsciously skilled In general we can say that the environment the children have
to learn in is safe. Expectations are often a threat for the
development of a player. Let them play and assure them that
you trust them. Only then will they use their imagination and
For stage 3 and 4 you need time and repetition. Reflection guide themselves through the world of making mistakes and
on learning is very important for the player to understand the learning from their mistakes. Try to use the positive aspects
trust from the coach in him. instead of the negative ones, listen to them, do not shout at
them, do not make them players who come week after week to
Articlecode 86477d6a their practice with fear in their hearts.

No. 2 - March/April 2004 17

Edwin Reder, HFC Haarlem U19 coach,
on modern wingers
“You can get a lot
from one exercise”
At Haarlem they like playing with wingers. Preferably with
a right footed player on the right side and with a left foot-
ed player on the left, like the Ajax style. Since there is a
partnership with Ajax, the basis has to be the same. “The
role of the winger, however, is constantly changing”,
according to Edwin Reder, U19 coach at HFC Haarlem. He
talks about the role of the modern winger.
“In the past teams would play with a winger playing forward
all the time, which made the game very static. Nowadays
wingers are more flexible. They fall back more and from that
position they can play more of a part in building the play.
Formerly, when you passed to a winger he only had to make a
move. Nowadays there is a lot more to it.”
“We are very aware what the right winger does when the left
winger has the ball . When he sees that the left winger is in a
1, 2, or 3 against 1 position, the right winger will have to
remain on his side of the field, in order to receive the cross
pass. However, when the left winger is able to beat his oppo-
nent(s) the right winger will have to be free to receive the
pass. “
“You can use one exercise to practice this. You do not have to
constantly update your exercises or add new ones. When you
add new accents to a new exercise, you can reach different
18 No. 2 - March/April 2004
objectives with the same exercise. Its all about details or
accents.”
“The 6 against 6 exercise is perfect in order to place the
accent on the wingers. You play with the midfield and the for-
wards against the defense. Our defense will play the same
way as in a game, zonal line defense (also refer to the Mark
Wotte interview in our previous issue - red.).”
“I believe it is important to leave it open. In an exercise such
as this I do not spend a lot of time explaining how to do it. I
tell them what we are going to be doing and that the accent is
on the wingers and the rest is up to the players. When they
have a better option than to pass to the wingers, they obvious-
ly have to do that. In a game you also have to look for the
best option and you always have to do what you would do in a
game. However, you can always start the exercise by passing
to the wingers.”
“Its all the same exercise, but with a real
game element incorporated into it. That is
why I believe it is important that the
wingers always turn and face the ball. It
sounds like a cliché, but even in profes-
sional soccer games you see a lot of
wingers who are positioned the wrong way.
This is something a modern winger cannot
be permitted to do.”
Articlecode eead4567
6 against 6 with the accent on the wingers
Organization
- 6 against 6 with a goalie on 3/4 of a field
- We always start with a pass from 10 on 6 or 8
- After the pass we play a normal game, in which both teams can
score on the big goal
- When a goal is scored or the ball is out of bounds we always start
again with a pass from 10 to 6 or 8

Coaching
- The accent is on the wingers, try to concentrate your coaching
on this.
Progression
- When everything is working, this exercise can be build out to a 7
against 7 or 8 against 8 scrimmage with goalies

Situation 1
“Start the exercise by passing the ball from 10 to 8. 8 will then pass to
11, but when this happens too slowly and the 4 defenders cover each
other, chances are that the winger may not be able to get through. When
8 allows for a little more depth, so that he pulls the midfield along with
him, number 10 will be able to get under it and will be able to receive the
pass. Now the moment you want to practice has come. What will number
7 do on the other side?”

Situation 2
“It is important for number 7 to always be free to receive a pass. He has
to be positioned wide and come from behind the defender. He should
not play behind his direct opponent and he should also not stand in the
penalty area the whole time, as this will distort the movement of the ball.
He will receive the pass from number 10. If the defender tries to cover
closely and execute pressure, the winger can pass the ball with his right
foot along the line. This way he will be able beat the defender in 1 move,
however this is not always possible.”

Situation 3
“Say the defender is fast enough and covers really close, in this case
he can play a deep cross pass. The accent is on constantly playing with
the defender.”

Situation 4
“Say that number 10 is for one reason or another unable to pass the ball
across such a distance. He may then also choose to pass the ball to 6
and we will take it from there. 6 does not necessarily have to pass to the
wingers, since this is not a real game scenario. When the opponents mid-
fielder (who is guarding 6) is still in position in the center (length) of the
field, I believe the best option does not lie with passing to the winger,
but rather to take the ball to the winger, so you create a 2 against 1 situ-
ation with number 7 on that side of the field.”

No. 2 - March/April 2004 19

 The Brazilian
The Brazilian National
National U15
U15 team
team played
played three
three friendly
friendly games
games in in
Bradenton (Florida),
Bradenton (Florida), as
as preparation
preparation for
for the
the U17s
U17s World-cup
World-cup in
in Peru
Peru in
in
2005. This
2005. This was
was aa good
good opportunity
opportunity for
for SoccerCoachingInternational
SoccerCoachingInternational to to
talk with
talk with team
team coach
coach Luiz
Luiz ““ Lucho”
Lucho” Nizzo.
Nizzo. It
It was
was not
not just
just an
an interview
interview
with the
with the coach
coach but
but also
also the
the whole
whole staff
staff from
from equipment
equipment manager
manager toto
head of
head of the
the delegation,
delegation, aa senator
senator from
from one
one ofof the
the Brazilian
Brazilian states.
states.

Luiz “Lucho” Nizzo,

Brazilian National U17 Team Coach
Brazil U17s
Youth Coaching
Luiz is a good example of someone who was not a world-class
player but who is working at the top in coaching. He played for
a lot of clubs but never for a team in the first division.
“I think it’s not always necessary to have played at the top
level, as long as you get the right coaching education. I went
to University and got a degree in physical education and began
coaching youth teams in Brazil. Before my present job I
coached the U15 Malaysian national team.”
Lessons in Life.
I asked Luiz why he didn’t work with senior teams in Brazil
after finishing his playing career. The answer was simple. A lot
of former pro players who start coaching professional teams
are not successful, as they have not had a proper background
in how to coach. Coaching and playing are so different.
“Preparing youth players for the very top is my life. And not
just soccer I also teach the players life skills. Not every player
makes it at either a pro team in Brazil or at a big European
club”. Every player in his team has the potential, but you never
quiet know who will follow in the footsteps of Ronaldo and the
other Brazilians in Europe.
Money
When players start playing for the national youth teams they
immediately become very attractive to agents. This can have
an adverse effect on players who loose their focus. Lucho
believes most players are going to Europe far too early and are
just not prepared for the huge culture shock. Most of them
come from poor families and the change from having very little
to being very wealthy in such a short space of time is very dif-
ficult for young men to comprehend. But alas agents are only

20 No. 2 - March/April 2004

Bestellen kan bij: Sportpartners, Tel. 026-3610081 Email. info@voetbaltraining.nl

looking at the financial side and not the welfare of the young
players. It is much better that players wait until they are at
least 21.
Skill
Watching the Brazilian youth players during the 3 games it
soon becomes apparent that they are much more comfortable
on the ball than the American youth players. The reason
behind this is the natural development of youth players in
Brazil. Playing on different surfaces (beaches, dirt, concrete,
grass) and a variety of balls (tennis, rubber, paper or soccer
balls), as well as different sizes, is the reason the Brazilian
players have much better ball control than the average soccer
player. The other advantage the Brazilian youth players have is
that school is only in the morning or afternoon, which leaves
plenty of time for playing soccer. Also very often they are too
poor to have TVs, computers or other modern gadgets that
consume most American and European children’s time.
Training
The myth that Brazilian youth players learn all their skills on
the beach or streets is wrong. Players from the age of 7 are
members of clubs or soccer schools, some of which are run by
former professional players such as Zico and Careca. Training
for the age 7 – 13 age group is based purely on ball skills
(Master of the Ball). From the age of 13 training becomes
more tactical.
Selection procedure
One selection procedure for clubs is based on a project that is
jointly sponsored by the Brazilian Soccer Association (C.B.F)
and Nike. Every year they organize a tournament where 5000
poor children participate for nothing, and get free soccer gear
from Nike. During this five-month tournament, teams are
formed and train in their own communities with the associa-
tion providing free facilities and transportation. At the end of
the tournament, 22 players are selected to train and play with
the youth teams of professional clubs. This project is also a
great social support for the poor kids who cannot buy gear to
play in.
New Philosophy
Brazil has developed a new philosophy for their national
teams. Branco, the former Brazilian international and coordi-
nator of all the youth teams and Parreira, the National team
coach, had meetings with all Brazilian youth team coaches and
discussed the player development and strategy for the youth
as well as U20 and U23 national teams.
Parreira favors the 4-4-2 system and insists that all the other
teams play that way, with some variations allowed.
The main idea behind the new philosophy is:
- Attack the space. Fight for the open space on the field and
try to use it.
- Play “hard” when the opponent has the ball. This means they
must be tough and aggressive and tackle hard to get the ball
back as quickly as possible. We stress this in games and prac-
tice so it becomes second nature. The motto is “when they
play us hard we play them hard too”.
Preparation
To prepare the team for an event like this, the squad
comes together at the national training camp in the
mountains named Granja Comary, which is at
Teresópolis near Rio de Janeiro. The complex has
5 fields, a sports hotel with fitness rooms, swim-
ming pools and a gymnasium. This is a perfect
setting to prepare the players for tournaments.
The 7-10 days in the training camp is focused
on technical and tactical aspects of the game.
The physical part is not necessary because
the players already play enough games and
time is to precious to spend a lot of time on
this. The biggest difficulty they face is that a lot of
Brazilian youth teams play different systems such as
3-5-2, 4-4-2, 4-3-3, and 3-4-3. When players come to train
with us we must try to get them on line as quickly as possible,
which is not easy for players of 15 years old who are on the
first step of the ladder to become a national team player.
Balance
Important for Luiz is the balance of the team, both attacking
and defending. Not more than 5 players can attack at one
No. 2 - March/April 2004 21
time. Who is attacking is not important. If one of the full backs
goes forward, the other full back must stay in position, and one
of the central midfielders must cover the position of the defend-
er who also moves forward.

Systems
“During this tournament we played 2 different systems. The
3–5-2 because one of our top players was injured and our
defenders are physically able to cover the field. The reason
more and more European teams have started playing 3-5-2 is
because the fields in Europe are smaller than the fields in
Brazil. That is why most Brazilian teams play a 4-4-2 because
the fields are so big that 3 defenders are not be able to cover
the width against fast, technical forwards who are playing in the
Brazilian premier league. In a 3-5-2 system its important the
central defender is fast and technical as he must be able to
build up the play. Size is not really important because his most
important job is covering the two other defenders and the opera-
Passport
Luiz “Lucho” Nizzo
tional space.

To be able to play another system is important as from this time Date of birth 13 February 1963
a team must be able to switch during or even before the start of
the game, depending on the formation of the opposition, and Playing career:
what kind of players you have available. We prefer to play 4-4-2 Vasco da gama 1983 - 1985
when our best players are available, four defenders to cover the MesQusta – RJ 1985 - 1987
width of the field, four midfielders to be creative and to have the Rio Brancho- ES 1987 - 1988
right balance in attack and defense. A good midfield is more Jtaperuna 1988 - 1989
important than the number of forwards. If the ball is not going Nacional – SP 1989 - 1990
forward, the number of forwards is useless because the ball is Madureira 1990
not reaching its target. The main difference between the two
systems is that in a 3-5-2 system the full backs attack and in a Coaching career
4-4-2 system the full backs stay put and the central defenders Madureira 1990 - 1994 under.10-11
go into midfield.
Botafo 1995 - 1996 under .12
Madureira 1997 - 2000 under .15
Fluminense 200 under .15
You must play for pleasure Botafo 2002 under .15
Brazilians like to express their feelings and that is one of the Malaysia 2002 National team under 15
reasons we like to play creative soccer. Creating opportunities is Brazil 2003 National team under 17
what our players like to do. Just defending is impossible for the Madureira 2004 Assistant-coach 1st team
Brazilians, the same as it is for the Dutch; it is just not in our
culture.

Articlecode
544d592c

22 No. 2 - March/April 2004

3 v 3 line soccer

Organization:
- 3 against 3 a team can score when they dribble
across the line
- field 15 x 25 yards
- purpose of the exercise is to improve the speed of play

Coaching
- how to receive a ball
- creating triangle's
- overlapping runs
- wall passes
- individual actions

3 v 3 going to goal

Organization:
- 3 against 3 going to goal
- attacking team start with the ball on 40 yards from the goal
every time after an attack is over

progression:
- 3 defenders versus 4 attackers
- 3 defenders versus 5 attackers
- 4 defenders versus 5 attackers
- 5 defenders versus 5 attackers

Coaching points: defensive

- work as a group together
- communication : pass players on
- stay connected , don't give space away between players
- don't let players get behind you

11 v 0 7 Counter game

Organization:
- Whole field
- 11 players against 0
- the coach or assistant -coach is moving the ball.
- Organization:

Coaching Points:
- Players need to be moving to the direction ball is moving.
- Distance between players and lines must be compact

No. 2 - March/April 2004 23

 Bologna FC 1909 is one of Italy’s most successful clubs,

having won the “scudetto” – the Italian championship -

seven times. However, the last title win came in 1964

and in recent years the club’s ambitions have been more

geared to reaching one of the UEFA Cup places.

By: Frank Dunne

Michele Borghi,
Bologna FC U13 Coach:

“We don’t spend a lot

of time on tactics”
Bologna doesn’t make the headlines as often as AC Milan or
Juventus but it is, in many respects, one of the most forward-
thinking of the Italian clubs. Giuseppe Gazzoni, Bologna’s
main shareholder, was one of the first Serie A presidents to
understand that if clubs spent more money than they earned
they would not survive for long. From the late 1990s onwards
he refused to sign star names on huge salaries, focusing
instead on nurturing home-grown talent. At first he was heavi-
ly criticized by the club’s hard-core fans but now, with
Fiorentina already having gone bankrupt and clubs like Roma
and Lazio on the brink, he is hailed as something of a prophet.

The youth coach
There are seven youth teams at Bologna and the youngest
group, the U-13s (known as “esordienti” in Italy), are in hands
of Michele Borghi. When a shoulder injury forced Michele to
quit playing semi-professional football at 28 he immediately
took up youth coaching at San Felice sul Panaro, a team from
Modena, 35km up the road from Bologna. Three seasons
ago, after seven years at San Felice, he joined Bologna.
The team
The U-13 group is made up of 21 players. The team plays in a
regional championship against kids aged 12 and 13. Michele
explains that the club deliberately put together a group of boys
who were on the small side but dynamic and with decent tech-
nique and put them in a league with slightly bigger boys to
push them and prepare them. “They are at a disadvantage
physically at the moment but we hope that next year they will
have grown stronger from the experience.”
The approach
At Bologna the emphasis is on getting the basics of technique
right from day one, Michele explains. “We don’t spend a lot of
time on tactics with the U13s. Lots of technical work on the
basics and lots of match practice are the key elements. We
prefer to have a small number of technical and individual tacti-
cal objectives and work intensely on those rather than trying to
cover everything more superficially.
“For the youngest boys the most important technical aspect is
passing and receiving. The calling card of every young player
is how he strikes the ball. Many youngsters these days come
to clubs lacking in the basic ability to pass and control the

24 No. 2 - March/April 2004

ball. I do talk to the players about tactics but it is always from
an individual point of view: if I am a defender how should I
position myself when the other team is attacking? If I’m
attacking, what position should I take up to be able to receive
the ball? We don’t get into structural team tactics beyond ask-
ing for a basic level of organization and positional sense dur-
ing games. When they move up to the U14s they will begin to
learn a bit more about tactical issues.”
Both feet
“Using both feet is fundamental. We hammer home this prin-
ciple from the very first day. When the players arrived at the
beginning of the season, they were a bit behind in this respect
because they hadn’t been used to using both feet. I’m pretty
satisfied with the progress they have made. Apart from one or
two players who still struggle a bit with their weaker foot, they
have all improved a lot.”
Mentality
Michele has learned that, in match situations, winning isn’t
everything. How the team plays is more important than the
outcome. “When I started out in coaching I used to enjoy
watching the team play to win. The longer I spend working
with youngsters, the more I realized that winning is not all that
important. Your team could win a game in which the players
have made lots of individual errors and the problems get
masked by the victory. You could lose a game but notice that
How the team plays is more
important than the outcome.
many of the players have made important improvements and
that is more satisfying than winning. The secret of being a
good youth coach is being able to identify and correct defects
in the players. When they get into the U15s and U16s winning
becomes more important.”
Structure: a typical week
The boys train in two-hour sessions on Monday, Tuesday,
Wednesday and Thursday, with a match on Saturday. Each
session is based on four phases after an initial warm-up activi-
ty: 30 minutes of technical exercises, 30 minutes of themed,
small-sided matches, 30 minutes either on further technical
exercises or working on competitive situations (1v1, 2v1 etc),
30 minutes for an open match. Each week is based on one of
the fundamentals of technique and each day of the week is
based on a very specific element of that technique. “This
week is about passing, so one day is all about passing with
the inside of the foot, one day for passing with the inner part
of the instep, one day for passing with the full instep, one day
for passing with the outside of the foot.”
Today’s session: passing with the inside of the foot
The first group of passing and receiving exercises begins with
the players working in pairs and then in groups of four in an
8m x 8m square. Each exercise is brief - four to five minutes -
and repeated with variations that ensure that all players have
to use both feet, all have to pass the ball both forward and
No. 2 - March/April 2004 25

diagonally, and that all have to pass and receive from standing
still and while in movement. The level of difficulty and intensi-
ty is gradually increased throughout the phase.
“There are a variety of things I am looking for. I want them to
look up when they have controlled the ball and to time the
pass correctly. With the diagonal pass, the players have to
think about which foot to use. If you are standing still and
playing a forward ball, you can use either foot. But if your
teammate is moving and you have to find him with a diagonal
ball, you have to choose which foot to use and what body
shape to adopt when receiving the ball.”
After half an hour the players are split into three
teams of seven. They play on a small pitch with
half-sized goals. Two teams, A and B, play
against each other while the players of team C
take up positions along each touchline. They will
act as a “sponda”, or support, for the players in
team A. Players in team A can only touch the ball
three times. The players in team B have no
restrictions. There are three games of about ten
minutes with the teams switching roles, so that
each team gets to work with the support players.
Michele explains how the activity is based on the
give-and-go techniques they are practicing today
and on improving tactical awareness. “The free team tries to
attack directly and can use as many touches as they need to
get past the opponents. The players with three touches will
often find their path blocked by an opponent. They can’t drib-
ble him so they have to make a choice: look for a forward
pass or use the support players to the side. If they can, they
should look for the forward pass, but if not they should look
for support – this way they get used to using the whole width
of the pitch to keep the ball moving. This is a tactical aware-
ness but it is also linked to the training exercises because to
use the support players properly they have to execute the give-
and-go moves they were practicing earlier.”
The players then go back to the squares for more technical
work on passing and receiving. The exercises expand the give-
and-go elements that were introduced briefly earlier but are
more demanding and Michele demands that they are executed
26 No. 2 - March/April 2004
more quickly. For the last 30 minutes, two teams play a free
match, with no restrictions, in a three-quarter length pitch with
half-sized goals. Michele does not stop the game but makes
continual comments to individual players during the game
regarding their positioning or choice of pass.
Communication
Michele’s explanations are short and sharp and always accom-
panied by him doing a short demonstration. He is not a
coach who loves the sound of his own voice but says that
some parts of the session require him to take a very hands-on
approach. “In the exercises and the themed games, I get in
close to the activity a lot to hammer home the technical and
tactical points which are the object of the day’s session. I
rarely intervene in the open match. What I ask from them in
the match is intensity so there’s no point me stopping the
game every few minutes with instructions. After an afternoon
of hard technical work you have to leave space for them to
express themselves and to explore.”
As far as possible, he keeps the mood of the group upbeat
and positive. “Sometimes it is necessary to say ‘that’s not
the right way to do it’ but if kids at this age hear you yelling all
the time ‘you’ve done it wrong – you’ve made a mistake’ they
can get a bit upset so I always try to make criticism construc-
tive, explaining with positive examples and encouragement.”
Stretching
Boys of this age don’t need to spend a great deal of time on
fitness and stamina work. Instead, every ten to fifteen min-
utes, and in the pauses after matches, they do a couple of
minutes of light stretching, concentrating on the legs. As
Michele explains, this has several functions: “It gives them a
brief rest between demanding exercises and helps to calm
them down a bit so they can listen properly to the explanation
of the next activity. But it also increases their flexibility and
mobility which helps them to improve the technical execution
of passing and receiving.”
Articlecode e9966728
The forward push pass from a stationary position
Organisation
- four players in a square 8m x 8m, divided into two pairs.
- A passes to C, B passes to D, each player controls with one
foot and returns with the other, always using the inside
of the foot

Coaching
- the players have to look up before playing the ball to avoid the two
balls clashing in the middle and have to think about the timing of
the pass

“Give and go” - passing and moving, using the forward pass
Organization
- Same four players in pairs in same 8m x 8m square
- A passes to B and at the same time B passes to D
- A and B then change places, C and D stay in position, so that C
returns the ball to B and D to A
- The player at point x always stops the ball with his right and returns with
his right, at point x always uses his left
- 4/5 minutes then players switch roles

Coaching points
- The players have a tendency to play a sloppy pass because they are
already on the turn as they play the ball and so have the wrong body
shape – the pass must be executed with total concentration before the
player moves
- Players are receiving the ball on the move so must keep their heads up
to watch the ball arriving
- When playing the diagonal ball the players have to think about the
timing of the pass

Fast pass and move exercise with diagonal pass

Organization
- Same four players, same square
- A passes to D and then moves to where B is standing, B moves to
where A was standing
- D must then play a diagonal pass, either to B (in A’s old place) or to C,
switching position with the other player in diagonal (so if he passes to
C, he changes places with B)
- The player receiving always controls the ball first before playing the next
pass
- Once the basic rules are understood the exercise must be played at a
fast pace
Coaching
- For each pass, one of two players could receive the ball so both have to
keep alert with the right body shape
- The pass can go either left or right so the passing player has to choose
the correct foot to play the ball, using his right foot to play to his left
and vice versa
- The direction of the “go” movement is no longer automatic, it could be
either left or right depending on where the ball has been played, so
players are having to make quick decisions and movements

No. 2 - March/April 2004 27


René Hake, U15 coach BVO Emmen:
“The challenge is to get
them to help each other”
“There is a big difference between the first and second year
U15 players. The first year players are still very obedient in
everything they do, the second year players, on the other
hand, are slowly starting to rebel. They want to talk about soc-
cer and feel that they also have a say in things, I try to give
them as much space as possible in order for them to do this.
It is a constant tug of war. Sometimes you need to have a
strong hold on them and the next time you have to give them
some space to see how much responsibility they can handle.”
Responsibility
“Some weeks are better than others. They have a lot of prob-
lems, pointing out each other’s weaknesses. As a coach you
try to encourage them to talk to each other about responsibili-
ty, but they rebel against everything, including each other. They
still have to learn how to accept each other, and not everybody
is ready for that. This process is a key factor for the team spir-
it within the U15 selection. And your not even specifically talk-
ing about soccer yet.”
Reproach
“An example of this is that they regularly reproach each other
in a game. They do not help each other out, but rather take
the approach of: “I know more than you do”. This is typical
adolescent behavior. Telling a teammate how to do it is more
28 No. 2 - March/April 2004
René Hake is head of the youth academy and coach of
the U15 selection at BVO Emmen.
SoccerCoachingInternational talked to him about coach-
ing the U15 selection. “Second year U15 players are at a
stage of their lives where they are trying to rebel against
everything, as a coach you try to lead them in the right
direction. That process is extremely important with this
age group.
By: Paul van Veen
difficult than telling them they played a bad ball.”
Way of playing
“You search for certainties within your playing style. It is
therefore important that you make clear objectives on how to
play when the opponent has possession. You start to place
importance on the functions of the individual players within the
team. You have to teach these players how to function on the
field as individuals, as lines and as a team. At the U17 and
U19 selections you start to perfect these skills.”
Variation
“With first year U15 players you have to allow them to experi-
ence what it is like to play in different positions. For example
the left winger, will also need to experience what it is like to
be a left midfielder and a left back. This is slowly phased out
over time, as they start to develop their set positions. A sec-
ond year U15 player may play in a left winger position with the
U15 selection, however when he reaches the U19 selection he
might play in the left back position. This completely depends
on the personal development of the individual player. With the
younger players it is hard to determine how they will develop in
the years to come. It is therefore important that they experi-
ence what it is like to play in different positions.”
Perspective
“You can implement this in practice on a regular basis, but it
also happens in the game, depending on what situation aris-
es. Besides, this is the ideal situation for a player to observe
his position from another perspective. When a left midfielder is
plays left back he has a perfect view of what is happening in
front of him. He can see how he has to react to how the left
back plays and experience how the player, who normally plays
behind him, views the game.”
1-3-4-3
“With the U15 selection you often play a 3-4-3 formation,
especially at the level we are playing at (2nd division). In
defense we play man marking, because we are often better
than the opponent. Next year this will be different, because we
do not have the same qualities as a team like Ajax or Vitesse.
We might also have to play with a 4-man defense then,
because we will be playing on our half of the field more often
than we do now. This means you will have to play a different
game, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. This way you
confront the players with other organizations and formations.”
Details
“The older the players get the more emphasis you place on
details. When the left midfielder executes pressure with the
U15 selection, you will later tell him to cover the outside. You
have to have the confidence in your left midfielder that he is
covering the opponents’ right midfielder when he receives a
pass. These are the things you discuss with each other. Of
course this will go wrong 10 times more often with the U15
selection than with the U17 selection. And likewise it will go
wrong 10 times more often with the U17 selection than with
the U19 selection. However the idea behind it remains the
same. Which side do you let them cover? Which foot do they
have to cover? You also talk about this with the U15 selec-
tions, mainly so they can start thinking about things like this,
but mainly to ensure they are prepared when they reach the
next playing level. It is all part of the learning process.”
Help
“This way you can also talk about other positions. The left mid-
fielder needs to provide close cover when the left- winger exe-
cutes pressure. What will the right midfielder be doing? Will he
close? Will he position himself in between the opponents’ left
back and left midfielder so he can help the right midfielder?
Of course they are going to make mistakes once in a while,
but the challenge is to position themselves in such a way that
they can help each other out.
They have to know (and learn) from each other about what
they have to do and when they have to do it.”
Development
“When you look at the development over a year you can wit-
ness a big improvement, especially when you are playing
against teams who play at a higher level. You will witness
them learning how to deal with these situations and making
the step to help each other out. In the games we play in our
current competition this is not always necessary, because we
No. 2 - March/April 2004 29
are better than our opponents. However when you play against
better opponents supporting each other is crucial.”
The role of the coach
“This morning at practice you could see the difference. I told
both teams to play in a 1-3-3-3 formation, but within 5 minutes
the yellow team was trailing 3-0, because their organization
was not positioned accurately. The junior U15 selection is not
yet able to solve the problem themselves, in stead they
reproach each other for their mistakes. As a coach you need
to jump in and fix the organization. They cannot do that them-
selves, they know the organization is not right, but finding a
solution and fixing the problem still proves to be very hard.”
Technique
“We also devote a lot of time on technique with the U15 selec-
tions. All soccer facets will be reviewed, including passing,
shooting, receiving and carrying/taking the ball. We practice
this almost every practice. The ‘loose’ technique is primarily
used as a warm-up. The real techniques will be automatically
improved throughout the competition. By adapting the rules
you can accentuate a certain aspect. For example when you
play 4 against 4 you may implement a rule that players are not
allowed to score from a direct pass from the goalie, this
ensures that there will always be backup for the player who
receives the pass. You will notice that the players always work
on receiving the pass, are constantly moving, are turned into
position and are always trying to find a way to free themselves
from their opponent. In the passing and shooting exercise you
also touch on these concepts, but here you are mainly talking
about how to touch the ball. In a game you pay attention to
how they develop and take it one step further.”
Atmosphere
“We train 5 times per week and I think we work on technique
and skills the first 20 minutes about 4 times per week, as a
warm-up. Sometimes we also work on the atmosphere within
the team. Today we played a game of tag, the guys love these
30 No. 2 - March/April 2004
games at this age. Before our game of tag I pointed out their
responsibilities, because the equipment was not in order. So I
punished them, because the balls were soft and they were not
taking their responsibilities seriously. However, because we
have a game tomorrow I needed to restore the atmosphere
within the team, so we played a game of tag.”
Receiving
“We regularly do certain rotation forms in the warm-up by
which players need to receive the ball from a movement, and
as a coach you accentuate this. When you witness a player
putting his foot on the ball while receiving a pass you can
point out he is more vulnerable. The next time this player
receives a ball he will, for example, carry the ball inside and
pass it with his other foot. You can tell they are working on it
and that is what it is all about.”
Possession game
“For a U15 coach it is really important to find the right balance
between team practices on, for example, possession play from
the back, possession of the opponent or the transition.
Practicing this 4 times per week with this age category does
not work. Instead I believe it is important to play a lot of pos-
session games and scrimmages with this age group. You can
vary this by playing a big game one time and a small game the
next. When you play 4 against 4, the experience will always be
great. Today we played 9 against 9 and they loved it, but you
cannot do this every practice with these players.”
Articlecode 9ce77d7f
Cutting and turning in 3s or 4s
Organization
- Player 1 passes to player 2
- Player 1 executes pressure on player 2
- Player 1 receives the ball to the right and cuts with the out-
side of his foot and proceeds by taking over with his left foot.
- Player 1 dribbles to the other side, once again cuts the ball with the
outside of his foot and passes to the other side and immediately
pressures the next player

Progression
- The defense executes more and more pressure

Coaching
- Bend the knees
- Keep your body in between the ball and the opponent
- Use arms for balance and to hold off the opponent

Variation
- Inside-outside
- Behind standing foot
- Under foot

Passing and shooting in 3s or 4s

Organization
- Player 1 passes to player 2
- Player 2 receives the ball with his left foot, carries it to
the right and passes with his right foot to player
- Players stay on the same side

- Pass to right foot as well as left foot

Coaching
- Pass as straight and directly as possible
- Receive in front of you
- Bend the knees
- Carry the ball within the movement

Variation
- Pass as straight and directly as possible
- Follow the ball instead of staying on your own side

Scrimmage 4 against 4 with 2 goalies

Organization
- 4 against 4 with two goalies on two big goals
- Extra rule: players are not allowed to score from a direct
pass from the goalie

Coaching
- Good receiving
- Join the deep striker at the moment he is passed to
- Good wall pass
- Depth before width
- The organization has to be positioned correctly. The sides
may not play too far in front of the ball. They cannot be
there, they have to get there.

No. 2 - March/April 2004 31

Steve Gummer, Coerver
Coaching’s Director of Coaching

The importance
of Technical
development at
an early age.
Soccer through its history has always maintained the same
objectives; score more goals than the other team and you win, a
simple premise but not always as easy as it sounds. Generally it
is easier to destruct than it is to construct, so the better you can
master the ball the better the player you will become, which in
turn will provide confidence and the ability to take more risks as
a creative soccer player. SoccerCoachingInternational talked
with Steve Gummer Coerver Coaching’s Director of Coaching for
South Carolina and Boys’ Technical Director for Cobb FC, a high-
ly regarded club in the Metro Atlanta, Georgia area

By Peter Langens

Coerver there is more emphasis now on the technical development of

As a native of England, Steve played English Semi-Pro football every individual player. With this philosophy COERVER COACH-
for more than ten years, and spent 15 months with ING has become the worlds number one soccer skills teaching
Switzerland’s FC Vernier, in Geneva. He has also coached with program.
youth academies attached to several professional clubs in
England and Switzerland, including the English FA School of The Pyramid
Excellence, the youth academy associated with the governing Coerver Coaching has designed a curriculum, which links all of
body of the English Football Association. Steve first came to the essential ingredients together with a unique methodology,
the United States in 1994 as a staff coach for International which is labeled the “Pyramid of Player Development” This
Soccer USA. For the past 3 years, Steve has organized and Pyramid has been broken down into six building blocks:
directed Coerver camps throughout Georgia; and in May of
2002, he was named Coerver Coaching’s Director of Coaching
BALL MASTERY
for South Carolina.
RECEIVING AND PASSING
Changes MOVES (1v1)
Over the last twenty years soccer has seen many changes all
SPEED
for the good of the game, as have players improved in their
own technical ability the rewards are seen every day on soccer FINISHING
stages across the world. The question is where do all of these GROUP ATTACK
great players learn their trades. Is it by watching idols from
there childhood, constant practice in the backyard, or at the In our next issues more about
local park playing in pick up games. I think the answer is that the building blocks.

32 No. 2 - March/April 2004

Beneficial
The Coerver method is critical to young players and is most
beneficial between the ages of 6 to 15. At an early age players
are very receptive to a new exciting challenge and the Coerver
curriculum is a wonderful program, which gives players the
tools to play the game and be successful and have the confi-
dence to experiment as an individual as well as a team player.
As Coerver has grown its global network over the last 30 years
it has effected many countries and players and is endorsed by
major powerhouses in the world of soccer, to name but a few
Bayern Munchen, Real Madrid, AC Milan, Marseille, Newcastle
United and Arsenal, are some of the clubs which install the
Coerver method into there development of there academy pro-
grams. Along with this there are many National federations that
support the Coerver method as it has become the Worlds
Number One Soccer Skills teaching program.
David Beckham
Individual players who have had association with the coerver
program are, Harry Kewell, Liverpool and Australia, Zinedine
Zidane, Real Madrid and France, David Beckham Real Madrid
and England, Jungen Klinsmann of Germany, and many more
across the globe.
All of the above are household names and respected giants in
the great world of soccer, but how does Coerver coaching
affect the millions of players that have aspirations of perform-
ing on the world stage in the future. Coever Coaching has a
global network which offers programs in Europe, Asia, Oceania,
Africa, and North America. This network effects the way players
all over the world are developed and molded into gifted techni-
cians as well as having an extensive library which includes
books, videos, and CDs all for the up and coming coach who
wants to learn more about the program.
Coerver Coaching
For me Coerver Coaching has changed and opened my eyes
into the method in which young soccer players are taught and
developed technically. I was first introduced to the Coerver
Program many years ago through the art of the video tape and
watched many young soccer players performing many moves
and change of direction exercises all together in unison. It
looked great and well organized, but it was not until I met Paul
Gibbons that I familiarized myself with Coerver Coaching. Paul
is the Georgia and Florida licensee for Coerver Coaching and
he invited me to one of his summer coerver soccer schools
where I automatically fell in love with this program. The way the
exercises were broken down to develop players all made per-
fect sense to me. A lot of the practices were so simple they
effected every player at the camp, gave them confidence and
success, and also brought a smile to every player who attend-
ed the soccer school.

"A lot of the practices were so simple

they effected every player at the
camp, gave them confidence and
success, and also brought a smile to
every player who attended the soccer
school"

No. 2 - March/April 2004 33

 Hooked
It was several soccer schools later and I was hooked, which moti-
vated me to learn more about the program. That was five years
ago and I am now enjoying the coerver method as a licensee and
the Atlanta representive for Coerver Coaching. In addition to
working for Coerver-Coaching I am also the Technical Director for
Cobb FC a youth soccer association in Atlanta GA. Over the last 4
years I have installed the “Worlds #1 skills teaching method” into
our own academy program. The way our players have improved is
amazing, we have players both girls and boys who are developing
into excellent soccer players, who have acquired great technical
ability which only helps them as they strive for greater things in
the future. Developing soccer players is a very time consuming
process and it cannot be rushed, but if you follow the principles
in which you believe and you stay true to the cause, players will

Passport
evolve and the whole game is much easier to teach, when the
players you work with have all of the tools they need. In fact if
they are technically proficient the rest is so much easier.

Steve Gummer Wiel Coerver

Date of birth 9 July 1966 The fact of the matter is that Wiel Coerver the Dutch Visionary
who first gave us this revolutionary system back in the 1970s
Playing career and with the help of Alfred Galustian (International Director) and
1982 – 1999 Charlie Cooke (North America Director),
Bridgwater Town
Bridgwater YMCA Coerver Coaching has become the
Weston –Super Mare WORLDS NUMBER ONE SOCCER SKILLS TEACHING PROGRAM.
Minehead Town
FC Vernier
Bideford Town

Coaching Career
1990 – Present.
Bridgwater Town
Minehead Town
English FA Schools of Excellence
Leavenworth Lightning
(Technical Director)
International Soccer USA
Coaching Director
Georgia ODP Staff
Cobb FC Technical Director
Coerver - Coaching Director
Atlanta & South Carolina.

License: “B” License from

the Union of European
Football Associations (UEFA)
United States Soccer
Federation (USSF) “A” License.

Articlecode 8dcdd9a6

34 No. 2 - March/April 2004

Coerver moves

Organization:
Players A and B dribble to each other and perform a move and go
dribble to the cone they face. Reaching the cone they pass the ball
to player C and D they repeat the same exercise
- 4 cones
- 10 balls
- Field 20 x 20 yards
Moves:
- stepover
- scissor
- double scissor
Coaching points:
- quality of dribble
- quality off pass
- proper assessment of space when to pull the move
- surfaces of the foot

4 v 4 with 4 neutral players

Organization:
1 team keep the ball away from the other team, they can
use the neutral players who are on the outside of the
field
- field size 40 yards x 20 yards
- 10 balls

Progression:
- 10 passes = 1 point
- after 3 minutes switch neutral players with a team in the field.
- After 5 minutes switch neutral players with a team in the field

Coaching points:
- positioning in relation with players in the field and neutral players
- accuracy of passing
- communication

Touch passing
Organization:
3 or more players pass the ball in 1 touch to each
other, after the pass player moves to the end of the
row opposite of him.
- 4 balls
Progression:
2 - right foot
- left foot
- increase speed of the pass
Coaching points:
- Balance of the body: leaning over the ball to keep the ball on the
ground
- accuracy with pass that teammate can pass the ball in once back
- “ last glance” look over the shoulder to now what is going on
behind you

No. 2 - March/April 2004 35

 Tom Goodman, US Youth Soccer
National Director of Coaching Education

Small-Sided Games
in America
As the US Youth Soccer National Director of Coaching Education, veteran soc-
cer player at various levels, veteran youth coach and father of three adult chil-
dren, who used to be little soccer players, I have thought long and hard about
the answer to the questions, “Why Small-Sided Games?” and “Why here in
America?”

Let me make sure that everyone understands the meaning of
“Small-Sided Games.” These are soccer games with fewer
than 22 players (11 versus 11) usually competing on a smaller
sized field. These are fun games that involve the players more
because fewer than 22 players are sharing one ball.
there were too many players on the field for our age level. I
didn’t like playing as much on game day as I had when there
were only 6 or 7 players on the field during practice because I
hardly ever got the ball and hardly ever shot the ball at the
goal. NOT FUN!

Small-sided games have always been around in my life here in
America. My first experience playing soccer was in a small-
sided game. I lived in Springfield, MA across the street from
Nathan Bill Park, one of the many city parks available to my
friends and me.
One afternoon, I rode my bike over to the park and I saw a
man and two boys, who I later learned were his children, play-
ing soccer. The two boys were trying to score goals on their
father into a goal made of one soda can and one beer can.
When the dad won the ball he would try to kick the ball
against a trash can about 15 yards away, opposite the goal at
which they were shooting. They were having a great time! The
dad looked over at me and asked me if I wanted to play…I
said, “YES!”…and so began my long career in the game. The
development of my passion for the game had begun.
The dad’s name was Mr. Cazavaland, a Hungarian immigrant,
who lived in the neighborhood. He had played the game back
in Hungary and could do many wonderful things with the ball.
He was a kind man, patient and helpful. He never yelled at
us, but instead, encouraged us to try new things and to drib-
ble past each other and shoot from anywhere on the field. It
was great!
Mr. Cazavaland volunteered to coach my first organized team
in the local Parks and Rec league in Springfield, MA. when I
was 8 years old. In those days, the early 1960’s, the teams
competed with 11 players on the field for each team (22 play-
ers). The field was a football field (100 yards x 50 yards).
Mr. Cazavaland thought that the field was too big and that
In practice, Mr. Cazavaland always set up small-sided activities
and coached us in those activities. I looked forward to prac-
tice more than I did the games!? The activities would consist
of a maximum of 8 or 9 players. We would play 4 versus 4 or
5 versus 4. He would set up two or three small fields and
everyone would play and have fun! Mr. Cazavaland was truly
ahead of his time.
True stories like this are abundant in America. Many of our
parents, our grandparents and our great grandparents immi-
grated to America having played this wonderful game in the
streets of their native countries. It is their experience and our
experiences together with our research on child development
that leads me to share the following information with you.
All ages can play “Small Sided Games”, but it has a definite
developmental impact on our younger soccer players. This has
to do with the stages of development that all children go
through. As children progress through these stages, their
intellect grows and they physically mature. For example:
Four and five year olds (U6 players) are very, very little peo-
ple. They are very egocentric. The ball represents a toy that
belongs to them…they don’t share well. They love to run and
jump and roll around. They have wonderful imaginations! It’s
not about soccer! It’s about PLAY! It’s about FUN!
Recommended game playing numbers: 3 versus 3
(no goalkeepers)
Recommended maximum field size: 25 yards x 30 yards
Recommended goal size: 6 ft high x 18 ft wide
Recommended ball size: Number 3

36 No. 2 - March/April 2004

Six and seven year olds (U8 players) are still little people At the U13 and older age groups, we believe that the players
but are maturing and have better balance and agility. They are capable of 11 versus 11 play. Here are some of the rea-
begin to experience success technically and will share the ball sons why I believe we, as soccer coaches, administrators and
a bit with teammates. Numbers on the field must be small so parents must guarantee that our young soccer players play
that they can have the ball a lot. This allows them to practice small-sided games:
their newly learned skills in an uncluttered environment. They
begin to enjoy playing soccer! • Because we want our young soccer players to touch the
Recommended game playing numbers: 4 versus 4 soccer ball more often and become more skillful with it!
(no goalkeepers) (Individual technical development)
Recommended maximum field size: 30 yards x 35 yards • Because we want our young soccer players to make more
Recommended goal size: 6 ft high x 18 ft wide but less-complicated decisions during the game! (Tactical
Recommended ball size: Number 3 development)

• Because we want our young soccer players to be more physi-

Eight and nine year olds (U10 players) can play the game
and enjoy playing the game. They need time and the appropri-
ate environment to continue their technical development and
begin simple tactical development (simple combinations with
their teammates). Fewer players on the field provide ample
opportunity to make less complicated decisions more often,
reinforcing the tactical basics, so-to-speak. They enjoy being
part of a team because it’s a FUN environment!
Recommended game playing numbers: 6 versus 6
(5 field players + 1
goalkeeper)
Recommended maximum field size: 45 yards x 60 yards
Recommended goal size: 6 ft high x 18 ft wide
Recommended ball size: Number 4
cally efficient in the field space in which they are playing!
(Reduced field size)
• Because we want our young soccer players to have more
individual teaching time with the coach! Fewer players on the
field and less players on the team will guarantee this! (Need to
feel worthy…need to feel important)
• Because we want our young soccer players to have more
involved playing time in the game! (More opportunity to solve
problems that only the game presents)
• Because we want our young soccer players to have more
opportunities to play on both sides of the ball! (More exposure
to attacking and defending situations)

Ten and eleven year olds (U12 players) participate in and • Because we want our young soccer players to have more
enjoy the game because their intellect and technical ability opportunities to score goals and make saves! (Pure excitement)
allows for more mature play. Midfield play is introduced at
this age due to their increased intellect and improved vision of These are the reasons why we adults must foster “Small-Sided
the field. Training becomes economical in nature, merging the Games” in our youth soccer programs. These are the reasons
technical, tactical, physical and psychological components of that I, as the US Youth Soccer National Director of Coaching
the game. Education, strongly recommend small-sided play at the U6, U8,
Recommended game playing numbers: 8 versus 8 U10 and U12 age groups across the board…across America.
(7 field players
+ 1 goalkeeper) The “Small-Sided” environment is a developmentally appropri-
Recommended maximum field size: 55 yards x 80 yards ate environment for our young soccer players. It’s a FUN envi-
Recommended goal size: 6 ft high x 18 ft wide ronment that focuses on the player. And it is about the play-
Recommended ball size: Number 4 er…isn’t it?

Articlecode 6c72852d
 CIRENCESTER TOWN JUNIORS U6s

THE YOUNG ONES

“Fun Variety
and Games”
Fun, variety and games are the essential elements when coaching the very youngest age groups.
SoccerCoachingInternationals Paul Cooper organises the U6s coaching at his hometown club, where he has been able
to combine a fun learning experience for not just the children but also the young novice coaches and the parents. It is
catching these three groups at the earliest possible stage, which is the key to laying down a successful long-term
structure that everyone takes ownership of and develops.

First Steps
The first ever coaching session for a
young child can mean the difference bet-
ween a life long love of the game and
walking away from the sport for good.
The responsibility on the shoulders of
the coaches for this gateway to the beau-
tiful game is immense, yet it is probably
the age group, which is the least attracti-
ve for the majority of coaches. The attitu-
de is often, “Wait until they are 10 or 11
and have learnt a bit, then I will coach
them.” But it is the work done during
these precious and formative years, by
what are arguably the most important
coaches in youth football, that allows the
coaches with the older children to pro-
gress. The secret at this age is to have a
coach who understands children, who
can fire their imaginations and get inside
their heads. The coach must also know
what children of this age are capable of
and create a fun environment that enab-
les the youngsters to learn and develop.
This probably sounds fairly obvious, but I
have observed a UEFA B qualified coach
do an 8 v 7 phase of play with under 6s.
Clubs need to carefully select the right
coach for the appropriate age group. You
have to be prepared to join in with the
fun, have a good sense of humour and
lots of patience. Coaching this age
group is more rewarding than you think
and even experienced coaches of under
6s can be surprised time and time again.
One thing is however guaranteed, and
that is hours of fun and laughter.
Parents Meeting
The most important first step for a youth
coach is the pre-season meeting with the
parents. Remember that it is at the youn-
gest age group when the parents are
most interested in their children’s foot-
ball exploits, so it is an excellent oppor-
tunity to recruit volunteers, discuss your
coaching philosophy, code of conduct
and any other matters that may be rele-
vant for the year ahead. The influence
you have on both the children and
parents for coaching and playing the
game the correct way can send them on
a journey together that lasts for many
years and generations to come and can
touch many aspects of their lives, not
just playing football. It is the coaches at
this age group who are laying down the
foundations for a healthy future for not
only the sport but for society as a whole.
The Circuit System
At Cirencester Town Juniors you never
quite know how many of the younger chil-
dren will be at the session. On average
the club has about 50 children aged 4, 5
and 6. Each week the children are split
into 6 or 7 groups based on ability so
that all the children play at their own
level. The groups have between 6 and 8
players, but never go above 8.
If there are 6 groups, there will be 6 pit-
ches laid out for different activities. 3 of
the pitches will be set out for games

38 No. 2 - March/April 2004

based on the core skills, dribbling, shooting and passing.
These are delivered as fun, themed games where every child
has a ball and plenty of touches. These 3 skills pitches are
interspersed with 3 other pitches, which have small goals
where the children play 3 v 3 or 4 v 4 games. It is very much
‘let the children play’ with no real coaching but plenty of encou-
ragement. After 10-15 minutes, the children move one pitch
along to the next activity.
This allows the following:
• Variety- children change activity every 15 minutes and never
get bored
• Lots of touches of the ball
• Plenty of 3 v 3 and 4 v 4 free play games
• Children work in small groups, no larger than 8
• Children play with children of their own ability level
• Flexibility- easy to set up and change depending on the
number of children who turn up
• As children play a game every other activity, they do not get
impatient waiting for ‘the big match’ at the end of the session.
Young Coaches
This season the under 15s players at the club are helping with
the coaching, working alongside the adults. For every age group
of 6-8 children there is one parent coach and one under 15s
coach. The under 15s help lay out the pitches and go through a
"The secret at this age is to have a coach who understands children,
who can fire their imaginations and get inside their heads"
session plan with the head coach as well as evaluating the ses-
sion afterwards. The parent coaches and boys will all complete
a one-day internal course at the club organised by the dutchUK
football school as well as the FA level 1 course. The boys will
have to wait until they are sixteen to do the FA course. To intro-
duce the U15s to coaching this early has two advantages.
Firstly it gives them an opportunity to learn how to coach and it
also helps to improve their own game as they begin to learn
how to coach and it is also helps to improve their own game as
they begin to think like a coach and begin to solve their own
problems on the pitch.
Involving the Parents
After each session all the children, coaches and parents group
together, the head coach, coaches and children discuss some
of the points of the session with plenty of interaction. The
coach also explains to the parents the objectives of the ses-
sion and keeps underlining the philosophy of coaching children
at this age and what can be expected from them. This is also a
good opportunity to set some homework and show parents how
they can work with a child on a specific skill at home. The
emphasis however is only if the child feels like it, no pressure
should be exerted.
The parents are encouraged to help create a fun atmosphere
and form a human tunnel at the beginning of the session to
clap the children onto the pitch. This sets the tone for the ses-
sion as the children love it and the parents feel involved.
No. 2 - March/April 2004 39
Touches, Touches, Touches
The children get many touches of the ball
during the session. The touches are dif-
ferent too for the various games and
exercises, passing and kicking with
both feet, with the instep, the insi-
de and outside of the foot.
The children are hardly
aware that they are prac-
ticing a particular
skill, as all the drills
are delivered as fun
games, which the
children know well
and can virtually
run themselves.
There is always
some goal to
achieve which
makes it fun for the
children and not just a drill
where say the children pass the
ball to each other just for the sake
of it.
In games the children are encoura-
ged to run with the ball as at this
very young age a game of 4 v 4
becomes 7 v 1 when any par-
ticular player has the ball as
all the children want to get
hold of the ball. Wingers and
40 No. 2 - March/April 2004
players that can beat opponents at will
are a dying breed so as much as possi-
ble should be done to make this as natu-
ral to a child as running itself.
Too early in life children are
told to pass the ball and
get rid of it. If the children
are not allowed to run with
the ball at this age, they
will never get the chance to
do it freely.
Imagination
It is very important that
you fire the imagination of
both children and coaches.
One exam-
ple is a dribbling game
they play at the club called
‘Shark Attack’.
Eight children dribble around a
rectangle with a ball each. They
are all deep-sea divers and are
encouraged to use all the sea to
swim in to view the wonderful variety of
fish, sea plants and old wrecks.
By using a little imagination, two boats
are made at each end of the grid by
making a boat shape with coloured mar-
kers and using a training pole as a mast
with a piece of triangular paper stuck on
as a flag. On a given signal, in this case
the first two bars of the ‘Jaws’ sound-
track followed by a cry of ‘Shark Attack’.
The children then have to dribble to the
boats before the Sharks catch them. The
Sharks are the coaches wearing traffic
cones on their heads. The result is lots
of fun and laughter as well as many tou-
ches.
“In games children are
encouraged to run with
the ball”
Articlecode 546225c9
Passing Game
Organization
- A pair of players stand opposite each other and pass the
ball through the 2 orange cones (the goal). Every time a pla-
yer successfully passes the ball through the cones to the
other player’s feet, they award themselves a goal.
- Players keep their own score
- Pass with the inside of the foot
- Pass with both left and right feet
- As players improve they can move further back to pass

Shark Attack
Organization
- Every player (the divers) has a ball
- Each of the two coaches (sharks) also have a ball and hold
a cone on their head
- Two boats are made up from cones at each end of the pitch
- The divers are encouraged to dribble around the sea and look at
all the wonderful fishes, sea plants and old wrecks. On a com-
mand, the first two bars of the Jaws theme tune are hummed fol-
lowed by a cry of “Shark Attack” the two coaches (grey figures)
enter the sea and try and catch the sharks who make for the
safety of either of the two boats. If a is caught, they are immedia-
tely released by the shark to live another day.

Traffic Police
Organization
- Drivers have a ball each, which is their car and should be
kept in control at all times.
- Drivers dribble along the roads until the traffic policeman shouts
“red traffic light”. The drivers then have to stop and put their foot on the
ball.
- On the command “green traffic light” the drivers set off again
- On the command “yellow traffic light” the drivers go off in a different
direction. This can be done by a specific turn that has been introduced
such as a drag back
- Then introduce different vehicles for them to handle
- Grannies shopping trolley is very slow-the children dribble slowly
- The mini moves at medium speed-the children dribble at medium speed
- The racing car moves very fast-the children dribble at full speed
- Encourage drivers to keep their head up so they can see all the other cars
and not crash into them

No. 2 - March/April 2004 41

 Ruben Sterrenburg
on the role of modern
goalkeepers:

Goalkeeping is more than

then
line keeping and kicking
the ball up front
In todays soccer goalkeeping is no longer looked upon as of secondary importance. The modern goalkeeper has to be able
to stand his ground in goal as well as on the field. You can say that due to the changes in the rules, goalkeepers are pres-
sured to do so. Ruben Sterrenburg, two-time selected goalie for the Dutch U15 national team, has a Trainer/Coach II certi-
fication and graduated from CIOS in Haarlem, a sports academy.
Ruben has coached the U19 and U17 goalkeepers at Telstar and is currently working for ADO ’20. Here he talks about the
modern goalkeeper and what skills and assets they need to possess in order to function in the modern game .

By: Ruben Sterrenburg

These days a coach may not think that Point 1. The basic technique, that a
his keeper is just there to “stand on keeper needs is to be able to control
his line and kick the ball up front”. what happens in his penalty area. He
However, this does still frequently hap- does not need to intercept every cross,
pen. Some coaches do not use their but he does need to know how to control
keepers as effectively as they should. It and handle the balls which come his
is important that a keeper is also a way. This can only be accomplished by
player. You can accomplish this by includ- starting with the basics. From the basics
ing the keeper in the players group, and you can work towards attaining your end
not by putting him at the far end of the goals and objectives: a competent keep-
field with a goalkeeping coach or a sub- er, who is able to play along with his
stitute player shooting balls at him. teammates, becomes an additional
defender. When and how to begin with
In the modern game it is important that technique will be covered later.
a keeper is able to play along with his
teammates. The old fashioned “line goal- Point 2: The keeper needs to be well
keeper” is not functional within a team informed on how to react in a 1 against
anymore. The 2 most important aspects 1 situation and when to initiate the build
for a goalkeeper are: up of the attack with an appropriate
pass. This already touches on the tacti-
1: decrease the chances of conceding cal aspects of goalkeeping and can be
a goal accomplished when the keeper develops
2: increase the changes of scoring technically. Therefore, one aspect can be
accomplished and is dependent upon the
other aspect.

42 No. 2 - March/April 2004

General tasks of a keeper in ball possession
This is depends on the moment of the game and the age and
skill level of the keeper. You cannot expect a 6 year old to
have the same qualities as a senior keeper. This topic will be
discussed later, when we will describe practices per age cate-
gory. A keeper will perform best by means of:
• Organization, communication, and leadership,
• Possession game and positioning,
• Intercepting the ball as early as possible.
Besides these general tasks a keeper also has specific tasks.
These tasks are divided up into 2 areas; ball possession and
opponents ball possession.
Specific tasks of a keeper in ball possession
1. As discussed previously the ability of a keeper to play with
his teammates is crucial. We will call this game continuation.
This includes:
• Dropkick
• Volley
• Goal kick
• Roll and kick
• Back pass (technical)
• One hand throw (sideways)
• One hand throw (overhead)
However, these are not the only issues. Communication is also
very important. This does not entail meaningless screaming
and shouting, but specific communication to the players (the
one who has the ball), but also the entire line joining the
attack. Also general communication, which entails dead ball
situations, such as corner kicks and free kicks.
With communication it is important that a players knows what
to do and how to react, by means of short, but meaningful
hints and tips.
2. Ball possession by teammate in the last line:
Here it is important a keeper;
• Is available to receive a back pass;
• Can adequately react to new situation with loss of ball
possession.
It is therefore important a keeper communicates with the play-
er who has ball possession, but also with the players around
the ball. The art for the coach is to make this apparent during
practice and sometimes, when needed, during games.
Especially at practice, when the exercise can be interrupted.
Give clear examples of what the keeper “could have said” in
that situation. Make sure you do not give them too much infor-
mation, also allow them to think for themselves. When it is a
novice keeper, make sure the last line understands the termi-
No. 2 - March/April 2004 43
 When you frequently work on basic goalkeeping techniques
from the beginning, than you as a coach/club, but also the
keeper, will have a great advantage. Techniques and exercises
will be discussed later .

There are several good pieces of equipment, which can aid

young keepers in their development. An important object is the
“tsjoek” (rebounder), a tightly stretched net, which bounces the
balls back to the keeper. This provides a great deal of fun, but
is also very educational. It ensures the balls bounce back to
the right places. Exercises do not always provide this luxury,
when the balls are not placed accurately the result is minimal.
Make sure you do not let a player just shoot some balls at
goal without a purpose. These shots have to be accurate and
precise.

With the 6-9 year olds, fun comes first. This means that the
practices need to be given in a playful manner. At least 50%
should be playing and learning. Children have a better response
this way, than by standing on their line and receiving random
shots on goal the whole time. The games you can use in your
practices are listed on the next page.

Articlecode ff92f85d
nology used by him. Communication between the players is
really important, they have to trust each other and know what
their “job” entails.

Age specific exercises

The things practiced with a 6 year old are obviously very differ-
ent from those practiced with a 12 year old. First of all I believe
you should rotate keepers with other players up the age of 8.
This develops their playing ability. However when one decides
to start early with the development of a specific keeper , make
sure you keep the following aspects in mind:

• Age
• Body structure
• Coordination

The bodies of 6-9 year olds are still in the developmental

phase. Therefore you should make sure that they keep “float-
ing” to a minimum. Of course they can dive, but frequently
repeat the catching and falling techniques.

44 No. 2 - March/April 2004

3 versus 3

Organization:

In this exercise you play 2:2 or 3:3.

Both teams have to ensure the ball will be played around 10x
without the ball touching the ground.

Progression:
- Modify size of playing area
- Modify rules, for example: only throw underhand, catch above the
head, playing by means of a drop kick or volley, etc…
- Frequency of playing the ball around

1 versus 1 in to areas

Organization:

You start this game with 1 against 1

- Try to score, by means of throwing the ball, underhand into the
other area
- You receive a point when the ball bounces in the other area. When
the goalie catches the ball directly after the bounce the point
does not count
- The place where the ball is processed is also the place where the
game will continue from.

Progression:
- Make the areas and the distance between the areas bigger
- Open with a drop kick, volley, one hand throws (sideways), etc…
- Can also be played 2 against 2

Goalie war
Organization:
- Play up to 3 points, when other keepers are waiting their turn
- Ball needs to be played within 3 seconds and within the indicated line. The
ball may not be played outside of that line. Opponent may play the ball.
- The game continues on the spot at which the ball was processed. Exception!!
The ball may not be bounced away on purpose. The ball needs to be secured
with both hands, unless not possible otherwise
- When a ball rolls within your area after a save, it will need to be picked up
A.S.A.P. Game continues from that spot
- When a ball rolls into the area of an opponent after a save, you are not allo-
wed to pick the ball up. The opponent needs to pick it up and continue from
that spot.
- When the ball goes out of bounds after a save, the opponent will play again
- With a handball (play ball pass the line, or touching the ball in your opponents
area) a penalty will be given to the opponent (from 11mtr.)

No. 2 - March/April 2004

‘He’s got a great first touch’, we all know what that means
and when we see a truly great player control a ball it is poe-
try. You know it’s a good touch by the sound it makes, it’s a
mellow sound that is not hurried unlike the short, sharp, off
key sound a bad touch that bounces off the foot makes. If
the moment was captured and played on a large screen with
surround sound, and put in the Tate Gallery, surely even non-
football folk would appreciate the artistry of the moment, the
shapes, the sound, the ball gliding across the turf, for this to
me is art.
THE FIRST TOUCH
‘A touch is a touch, even a bad one’
Bert-Jan Heijmans – dutchUK football school
There is no short cut to the good first touch, like the marathon
runners who put thousands of miles in before they can compe-
te with the best and classical pianists who spend hours a day
playing on the piano, it takes years of work.
Still we persist in warming up our young players by laps or run-
ning around cones and playing games of eleven a-side and
sometimes more. It says it all in the word, FOOT - BALL. No
other sport, cricket, rugby, or hockey expresses what the sport
is. Perhaps we should change the name of our national sport
to ‘Runalot’ or ‘Don’t get the balls out of the bag, you’ll get
them dirty!’ Now there’s an interesting name.
Long gone are the days when Bobby Charlton kicked a tennis
ball against a wall for hours on end honing his first touch. Kids
today rarely kick a ball around unless they are taken to a club
coaching session and then they may only have one or two
hours a week. Every second is precious. If a kid gets a football
for Christmas he doesn’t say, “I will leave the ball here while I
just go outside and run around for half an hour.” Go on be a
devil, open up the bag and get the balls out.
In a warm up session a child can touch the ball a couple of
hundred times, with both feet, inside and outside of the foot,
with the sole of the foot, while jogging and while running at
pace. Then onto a 5 v 2 game and later some 4 v 4 games
where the child is not only touching the ball a lot but also lear-
ning about insight and communication in the game.
On the next practice pitch is a coach who is warming up the
players with jogging followed by sprints and more running,
ending in a game, which has many per side, where there are
few touches and no insight and communication. The frightening
thing is that children who are practicing with a ball may well
46 No. 2 - March/April 2004
have more touches in one training session than the other group
has in an entire season, and it could take the running group 50
years to do what the ball orientated group do in one year.
What a waste of time for everyone. All those early starts, get-
ting the equipment together, all that petrol consumed, all those
missed hours with the family and for what? It is all about prepa-
ring your sessions before hand and thinking how to bring the
ball in all the time. It does not take long, but it is worth it. We
must think about our children’s long-term football development.
We can see every week in our professional leagues that this is
a generation who have grown up not as comfortable with a ball
as players from the Charlton era.
Later on when the ball orientated group play, and they are pas-
sing and moving, so sure and confident on the ball, making
passing triangles and creating such a positive spectacle. The
team they are playing with the running culture is getting more
and more frustrated at chasing the moving ball which is being
passed around them. They are so tired that when they do gain
possession their weaker technique lets them down and they
can only resort to kicking the ball as hard as they can up field
to relieve the pressure for a few seconds. Then the shout from
their coach cuts the air like a knife. “Look at you, you’re not fit
enough, more running for you at practice.”
Take responsibility and take a long hard look at what you are
doing. Remember the game is FOOT-BALL and a touch is a
touch, even a bad one.
PAUL COOPER
Director of the dutchUK football school
Various
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Offside Trick
During a midweek game between
Leicester City and Bolton Wanderers we
were entertained by Bolton’s free kick
variant. Bolton manager, Sam Allardyce,
came up with a remarkable variation for
free kicks from the sides. The Leicester
defense was flabbergasted and the
Bolton Wanderers took advantage.
The Bolton Wanderers free kick works
as follows:
Two players from the attacking team
position themselves next to the goal-
posts as the defenders cover the for-
wards. The two players return from the
offside position, but do not actively par-
ticipate in the game play. The free kick
is taken and as the defenders are
overwhelmed by the sudden return of
the two players, a third attacker can
free himself from his marker and will
attempt to create a goal scoring oppor-
tunity. In the case of a ‘rebound’ the
two players will no longer be in an offsi-
de position.
For more information surf to
www.soccercoachinginternational.com

No. 2 - March/April 2004 47

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